Technical-scientific police in São Paulo state that victims of the VoePass plane crash died from polytrauma; Understand what this means
According to the Scientific Police, all 62 passengers on the Voepass plane, which crashed in Vinhedo, in the interior of São Paulo, died as a result of multiple traumas resulting from the impact with the ground.
Polytrauma is characterized by multiple injuries caused by external forces - Photo Reproduction / Cecilie_Arcurs / Getty Images
The Technical-Scientific Police of São Paulo reported on Monday (12) that preliminary results indicate that the 62 victims of the tragic plane crash with a VoePass aircraft, which crashed in Vinhedo, in the interior of the state, died as a result of multiple traumas. , a term that designates multiple and serious injuries that affect different parts of the body, generally as a result of violent impacts. See below what this condition is and the types of accidents that can cause polytrauma.
The What Is Polytraumatism?
Polytrauma is a medical condition in which a patient suffers multiple traumatic injuries involving different regions of the body, such as the head, chest, abdomen and limbs. These injuries, when combined, are potentially lethal, especially when not treated quickly. In plane crashes, victims are often subjected to extreme forces, resulting in fractures, internal injuries and severe bleeding.
Types of accidents generate polytrauma
According to orthopedist Alberto Gotfryd, from Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein (HIAE), the energy released at the time of a collision is directly linked to the severity of the injuries. The greater the speed at which the body moves at the moment of impact, the more serious the injuries tend to be. Therefore, a plane crash is generally more fatal and violent than a traffic accident. Traffic accidents are the main cause of polytrauma in the population, often due to excessive speed and distraction caused by using a cell phone while driving.
The expert highlights the importance of traffic awareness campaigns, remembering that, even at lower speeds, like those of a car, accidents can be fatal. Hospital emergency rooms are full of victims of traffic accidents, often caused by recklessness, such as drunk driving or using a cell phone while driving.
How Does This Happen in Airline Accidents?
During a plane crash, the impact and deceleration forces are intense, which can cause simultaneous injuries to several parts of the body. In serious cases, such as the VoePass accident, these injuries are so serious that they lead to immediate or short-term death, before the victims can receive medical attention. Polytrauma, in this context, is a devastating combination of multiple injuries that overwhelm the body's ability to survive.
How should accident victims be treated?
Care for polytrauma patients begins at the scene of the accident and must follow a series of priority steps, known as the 'ABC of trauma', as explained by Gotfryd.
In the first rule, "A", airway maintenance is performed with control of the cervical spine. The professional must check for obstructions in the patient's airways, such as bruises, foreign bodies that may have become detached during the collision, or dental prosthetics. Furthermore, it is crucial to ensure the integrity of the victim's cervical spine by immobilizing the neck with a cervical collar and positioning-to me a rigid board.
In rule "B", it is necessary to assess breathing and ventilation. The presence of clear airways does not guarantee that breathing is adequate. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the integrity of the lungs, chest wall and diaphragm.
Rule "C" addresses checking for bleeding, which is one of the leading causes of preventable death from trauma. It is essential to identify and control any bleeding.
In rule "D", the victim's ability to communicate is assessed, whether they are disoriented and whether they can move their arms and legs.
Finally, the "E" rule involves analyzing the patient as a whole to identify possible fractures. This procedure must be carried out at the scene of the accident and repeated at different times, always following this order of priority, before sending the patient to the hospital.
Importance of Research
Confirming polytrauma as the cause of the victims' death is a crucial step in the accident investigation. This information helps investigators understand the dynamics of the accident, including the strength and direction of impacts. Furthermore, this type of report is essential for safety analysis and for formulating recommendations that can prevent future similar accidents.
