ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Trauma triad of death

Okay kiddo, so trauma is when someone gets hurt really badly, and sometimes their body can't handle it. The trauma triad of death is when three things happen to the body at the same time that can cause it to not work anymore.

The first thing is called hypothermia, which means the body gets too cold. This can happen if someone loses a lot of blood or isn't kept warm enough. When the body gets too cold, it can't work the way it's supposed to and can stop working altogether.

The second thing is acidosis, which is when the body gets too acidic. This can happen when someone isn't breathing enough, which can cause their blood to become too acidic. When the body is too acidic, it can't work the way it's supposed to and can stop working altogether.

The third thing is called coagulopathy, which means the body can't stop bleeding. When someone gets hurt really badly, they can lose a lot of blood and have trouble making it stop. If the body can't stop bleeding, it can't get the oxygen and nutrients it needs to work properly, and can stop working altogether.

So when all of these things happen at once, it's called the trauma triad of death and can be really dangerous for someone who's been hurt badly. That's why it's important for doctors and emergency responders to try to prevent these things from happening and to treat them quickly if they do.