Writing Traumatic Injuries References

Writing Traumatic Injuries References

So, pretty frequently writers screw up when they write about injuries. People are clonked over the head, pass out for hours, and wake up with just a headache… Eragon breaks his wrist and it’s just fine within days… Wounds heal with nary a scar, ever…

I’m aiming to fix that.

Here are over 100 links covering just about every facet of traumatic injuries (physical, psychological, long-term), focusing mainly on burns, concussions, fractures, and lacerations. Now you can beat up your characters properly!

General resources

WebMD

Mayo Clinic first aid

Mayo Clinic diseases

First Aid

PubMed: The source for biomedical literature

Diagrams: Veins (towards heart), arteries (away from heart) bones, nervous system, brain

Burns

General overview: Includes degrees

Burn severity: Including how to estimate body area affected

Burn treatment: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degrees

Smoke inhalation

Smoke inhalation treatment

Chemical burns

Hot tar burns

Sunburns

Incisions and Lacerations

Essentials of skin laceration repair (including stitching techniques)

When to stitch (Journal article—Doctors apparently usually go by experience on this)

More about when to stitch (Simple guide for moms)

Basic wound treatment

Incision vs. laceration: Most of the time (including in medical literature) they’re used synonymously, but eh.

Types of lacerations: Page has links to some particularly graphic images—beware!

How to stop bleeding: 1, 2, 3

Puncture wounds: Including a bit about what sort of wounds are most likely to become infected

More about puncture wounds

Wound assessment: A huge amount of information, including what the color of the flesh indicates, different kinds of things that ooze from a wound, and so much more.

Home treatment of gunshot wound, also basics More about gunshot wounds, including medical procedures

Tourniquet use: Controversy around it, latest research

Location pain chart: Originally intended for tattoo pain, but pretty accurate for cuts

General note: Deeper=more serious. Elevate wounded limb so that gravity draws blood towards heart. Scalp wounds also bleed a lot but tend to be superficial. If it’s dirty, risk infection. If it hits the digestive system and you don’t die immediately, infection’ll probably kill you. Don’t forget the possibility of tetanus! If a wound is positioned such that movement would cause the wound to gape open (i.e. horizontally across the knee) it’s harder to keep it closed and may take longer for it to heal.

Broken bones

Types of fractures

Setting a broken bone when no doctor is available

Healing time of common fractures

Broken wrists

Broken ankles/feet

Fractured vertebrae: Neck (1, 2), back

Types of casts

Splints

Fracture complications

Broken noses

Broken digits: Fingers and toes

General notes: If it’s a compound fracture (bone poking through) good luck fixing it on your own. If the bone is in multiple pieces, surgery is necessary to fix it—probably can’t reduce (“set”) it from the outside. Older people heal more slowly. It’s possible for bones to “heal” crooked and cause long-term problems and joint pain. Consider damage to nearby nerves, muscle, and blood vessels.

Concussions

General overview

Types of concussions 1, 2

Concussion complications

Mild Brain Injuries: The next step up from most severe type of concussion, Grade 3

Post-concussion syndrome

Second impact syndrome: When a second blow delivered before recovering from the initial concussion has catastrophic effects. Apparently rare.

Recovering from a concussion

Symptoms: Scroll about halfway down the page for the most severe symptoms

Whiplash

General notes: If you pass out, even for a few seconds, it’s serious. If you have multiple concussions over a lifetime, they will be progressively more serious. Symptoms can linger for a long time.

Character reaction:

Shock (general)

Physical shock: 1, 2

Fight-or-flight response: 1, 2

Long-term emotional trauma: 1 (Includes symptoms), 2

First aid for emotional trauma

Treatment (drugs)

WebMD painkiller guide

Treatment (herbs)

1, 2, 3, 4

Miscellany

Snake bites: No, you don’t suck the venom out or apply tourniquettes

Frostbite

Frostbite treatment

Severe frostbite treatment

When frostbite sets in: A handy chart for how long your characters have outside at various temperatures and wind speeds before they get frostbitten

First aid myths: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Includes the ones about buttering burns and putting snow on frostbite.

Poisons: Why inducing vomiting is a bad idea

Poisonous plants

Dislocations: Symptoms 1, 2; treatment. General notes: Repeated dislocations of same joint may lead to permanent tissue damage and may cause or be symptomatic of weakened ligaments. Docs recommend against trying to reduce (put back) dislocated joint on your own, though information about how to do it is easily found online.

Muscular strains

Joint sprain

Resuscitation after near-drowning: 1, 2

Current CPR practices: We don’t do mouth-to-mouth anymore.

The DSM IV, for all your mental illness needs.

Electrical shock

Human response to electrical shock: Includes handy-dandy voltage chart

Length of contact needed at different voltages to cause injury

Evaluation protocol for electric shock injury

Neurological complications

Electrical and lightning injury

Cardiac complications

Delayed effects and a good general summary

Acquired savant syndrome: Brain injuries (including a lightning strike) triggering development of amazing artistic and other abilities

Please don’t repost! You can find the original document (also created by me) here.

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UH...... WHAT.........

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This is the best post to exist. Thank you for this :) I love your art style, it’s amazing!!

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5 years ago

93 fun OC asks because why not

Basics:

1. What is their gender? 

2. What is their sexuality?

3. What is the meaning behind their name? Do they have any nicknames?

4. Do they have any siblings? How many? Are they older or younger?  Which sibling are they the closest with? 

5. What’s their relationship with their parents like? What about other relatives?

6. What would they give their life for?

7. Are they in a romantic relationship? With who? How did they meet?

8. What do they believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

9. What is their favorite color? Favorite animal?

10. What are some of their talents/skills? 

11. If they could make a mark on history, what would they like it to be? 

12. How old are they? When is their birthday?

13. What do they do for fun?

14. What is their favorite food? How often do they get to eat it?

15. What was something their parents taught them?

16. Are they religious?

17. Where were they born? 

18. What languages can they speak? Where did they learn these languages? 

19. What is their occupation?

20. Do they have any titles? How did they earn them? 

Personality:

21. What is their favorite thing about their personality?

22. What is their least favorite thing about their personality?

23. Do they get lonely easily?

24. Do you know their MBTI type?

25. What is their biggest flaw?

26. Are they aware of their flaws?

27. What is their biggest strength? 

28. Are they aware of their strengths?

29. How would they describe their own personality?

30. When frightened, will they resort to “fight” or “flight”?

31. Does this character ever put somebody else’s needs before their own? Who do they do this for? How often do they do this?

32. What is their self esteem like?

33. What is their biggest fear? How would they react to having to face it?

34. How easily do they trust others with their secrets? With their lives? 

35. What is the easiest way to annoy them?

36. What is their sense of humor like? Give an example of a joke they would find humorous.

37. How easy is it for them to say “I love you”? Do they say it without meaning it?

38. What do others admire most about their personality?

39. What does their happily ever after look like?

40. Who do they trust most? Is that trust mutual?

Physical Profile:

41. What does their laugh sound like? Do they snort when they laugh? How often do they laugh? 

42. What is their favorite thing about their physical appearance?

43. What is their least favorite thing about their physical appearance?

44. Do they have any scars? If so, what are the stories behind those scars?

45. How would they describe their own appearance?

46. How easily can they express emotions? How easily can they hide emotions?

47.  What’s their pain tolerance like?

48. Do they have any tattoos? What are the stories behind those tattoos?

49. Do they have any piercings?

50. How would you describe their style of clothing? How would they describe their style of clothing?

51. What is their height? Weight?

52. What is their body type? Are they muscular, chubby, skinny, etc?

53. What is their hair color? Eye color? Skin tone?

54. What is their current hairstyle? What have been some of their past hairstyles? Which was their favorite hairstyle?

55. What is their alcohol tolerance like? What kind of drunk are they? How bad are their hangovers?

56. What do they smell like? Why do they smell like this? (Is it the things they’re around or a perfume they wear?)

57. How do they feel about sex? Are they a virgin?

58. What is their most noticeable physical attribute?

59. What does their resting face look like? Do they have RBF?

60. Describe the way they sleep. 

Environment: 

61. Which season is their favorite season?

62. Have they ever been betrayed? How did it affect their ability to trust others?

63. What is always guaranteed to make them smile?

64. Do they get cold easily? Do they get overheated easily?

65. What’s their immune system like? Do they get sick often? How do they react to getting sick?

66. Where do they live? Do they like it there?

67. Is their bedroom messy? What about their bathroom? Kitchen? Living room?

68. How did their environment growing up affect their personality?

69. How did the people in their environment growing up affect their personality?

70. How do they feel about animals? Do they have any pets?

71. How are they with children? Do they have any? Do they want any?

72.  Would they rather have stability or comfort?

73. Do they prefer the indoors or outdoors?

74. What weather is their favorite? Do they like storms? 

75. If given a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and nothing to do, what would happen?

76. How organized are they?

77. What is their most prized possession?

78. Who do they consider to be their best friend? 

79. What is their economic situation?

80. Are they a morning person or a night owl?

Miscellaneous:

81. Are they bothered by the sight of blood?

82. What is their handwriting like?

83. Can they swim? How well? Do they like to swim?

84. Which deadly sin do they represent best?

85. Do they believe in ghosts?

86. How do they celebrate holidays? How do they celebrate birthdays?

87. What is something they regret?

88. Do they have an accent?

89. What is their D&D alignment?

90. Are they right or left handed?

91. If they were a tweet, what tweet would they be?

92. Describe them as a John Mulaney gif.

93. What’s the most iconic line of dialogue they’ve ever said?

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voidofstarryink - There Is Something Here
There Is Something Here

I spent years just lurking on tumblr but recently I’ve been making TSP content so I guess this is a TSP account now?they/void/ink/star/eye(Always feel free to message me or send in an ask <3)

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