Casualties from terrorist bombings.

The physical factors responsible for injury following an explosion in a room or building are: direct exposure to overpressure; blast-induced whole body displacement; impact of blast-energized debris; burns from flash and hot gases. The patterns of injury seen in the casualties from four terrorist bombings are described to illustrate the types and severity of particular wounds. The most common fatal injury is brain damage; 'blast lung' is uncommon in civilian terrorist bombings; flash burns, fractures, serious soft-tissue damage, and eardrum injuries are seen in people close to the bomb, who usually require hospital admission; many others taken to hospital can be treated for injury by debris and released. The environment and its internal structure and the position of the occupants of the space can influence the type and severity of injuries.