Electrical injuries

[Ernesto]

An electrical injury occurs when a current passes through the body, interfering with the function of an internal organ or sometimes burning tissue.

Often the main symptom is a skin burn, but not all serious injuries are visible.
Doctors check the person for abnormal heart rhythms, fractures, dislocations, and spinal cord or other injuries.
Abnormal heart rhythms are monitored, burns are treated, and, if the burn caused extensive internal damage, intravenous fluids and other treatments are given.

Electrical injury may result from contact with faulty electrical appliances or machinery or inadvertent contact with household wiring or electrical power lines. Getting shocked from touching an electrical outlet in the home or by a small appliance is rarely serious, but accidental exposure to high voltage causes about 300 deaths each year in the United States.

[Marquetta]

Electrical injury is damage caused by generated electrical current passing through the body. Symptoms range from skin burns, damage to internal organs and other soft tissues to cardiac arrhythmias and respiratory arrest. Diagnosis is based on history, clinical criteria, and selective laboratory testing. Treatment is supportive, with aggressive care for severe injuries.
Although accidental electrical injuries encountered in the home (eg, touching an electrical outlet or getting shocked by a small appliance) rarely result in significant injury or sequelae, accidental exposure to high voltage results in nearly 300 deaths annually in the US. There are gt; 30,000 nonfatal shock incidents a year in the US and electrical burns account for about 5% of admissions to burn units in the US.