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Home / What Happens to Your Body When You Get Electrocuted

What Happens to Your Body When You Get Electrocuted

Electric Shock

Electric Shock Overview

An electric shock occurs when a person comes into contact with an electrical energy source. Electrical free energy flows through a portion of the trunk causing a shock. Exposure to electric free energy may result in no injury at all or may issue in devastating damage or death.

Burns are the most common injury from electric shock.

Electric Shock Causes

Adolescents and adults are prone to high voltage shock caused by mischievous exploration and exposure at piece of work. Virtually i,000 people in the The states die each twelvemonth as a outcome of electrocution. Well-nigh of these deaths are related to on-the-job injuries.

Many variables determine what injuries may occur, if whatever. These variables include the blazon of electric current (AC or DC), the amount of current (determined by the voltage of the source and the resistance of the tissues involved), and the pathway the electricity takes through the torso. Low voltage electricity (less than 500 volts) may result in simply superficial burns or possibly more severe injuries depending on the variables to a higher place. Exposure to high voltage electricity (greater than 500 volts) has the potential to result in serious impairment.

If you are going to aid someone who has sustained a high voltage shock, you need to be very conscientious that you don't get a 2nd victim of a similar electrical daze. If a high voltage line has fallen to the ground, there may be a circle of current spreading out from the tip of the line. Your best bet may exist to call 911. The electric company will be notified and then that the power tin can be shut off. A victim who has fallen from a peak or sustained a severe daze causing multiple jerks may have a serious neck injury and should not be moved without commencement protecting the neck.

Children are not often seriously injured by electricity. They are prone to shock past the low voltage (110-220 volts) establish in typical household current. In children aged 12 years and younger, household appliance electrical cords and extension cords caused more than 63% of injuries in one study. Wall outlets were responsible for 15% of injuries.

Electric Shock Symptoms

A person who has suffered an electric shock may have very little external show of injury or may accept obvious astringent burns. The person could even be in cardiac arrest.

  • Burns are commonly most severe at the points of contact with the electrical source and the ground. The easily, heels, and head are mutual points of contact.
  • In addition to burns, other injuries are possible if the person has been thrown clear of the electrical source by forceful muscular contraction. Consideration should exist given to the possibility of a spine injury. The person may accept internal injuries particularly if they are experiencing any shortness of jiff, breast pain, or abdominal pain.
  • Pain in a hand or foot or a deformity of a office of the body may indicate a possible broken bone resulting from the electric shock.
  • In children, the typical electrical mouth burn from biting an electric cord appears as a burn on the lip. The area has a red or nighttime, charred advent.

When to Seek Medical Care

For a high-voltage shock, seek care at a infirmary's emergency department. Post-obit a low-voltage shock, phone call the doctor for the following reasons:

  • It has been more 5 years since your last tetanus booster
  • Burns that are non healing well
  • Burns with increasing redness, soreness, or drainage
  • Whatsoever electric shock in a pregnant woman

A person shocked by high voltage (500 volts or more than) should exist evaluated in the emergency department. It may be prudent to get prehospital care, usually obtained by calling 911. Post-obit a low-voltage shock, go to the emergency department for the following concerns:

  • Any noticeable burn to the skin
  • Any flow of unconsciousness
  • Whatsoever numbness, tingling, paralysis, vision, hearing, or speech problems
  • Confusion
  • Difficulty animate
  • Seizures
  • Any electrical shock if y'all're more xx weeks' meaning
  • Any other worrisome symptoms

Exams and Tests

At the Emergency Department, the md's chief business concern is to determine if significant unseen injury exists. Injury may occur to muscles, the center, or the brain from the electricity or to whatsoever basic or other organs from beingness thrown from the electric source.

The medico may order various tests depending on the history and physical examination. Tests may include any or none of the post-obit:

  • ECG to check the heart
  • Consummate blood count
  • Blood or urine exam or both for muscle enzymes (would bespeak significant muscle injury)
  • X-rays to look for fractures or dislocations, both of which may be caused by a nigh electrocution
  • CT scan

Electrical Shock Treatment Self-Care at Home

Brief low-voltage shocks that do non effect in any symptoms or burns of the peel do not require care. For any high-voltage shock, or for any shock resulting in burns, seek care at a hospital'due south emergency section. A dr. should evaluate electrical cord burns to the mouth of a child.

Medical Treatment

Treatment depends on the severity of the burns or the nature of other injuries constitute.

  • Burns are treated according to severity.
    • Small-scale burns may be treated with topical antibody ointment and dressings.
    • More severe burns may require surgery to clean the wounds or even skin grafting.
    • Astringent burns on the artillery, legs, or hands may require surgery to remove damaged muscle or even amputation.
  • Other injuries may crave treatment.
    • Center injuries may require examination and treatment by an ophthalmologist, an eye specialist.
    • Broken bones crave splinting, casting, or surgery to stabilize the bones.
    • Internal injuries may crave ascertainment or surgery.

Next Steps Prevention

Steps to prevent electrical injury depend primarily on the historic period of people involved.

  • For children younger than 12 years, almost electrical injuries are caused past power cords. Audit your power cords and extension cords. Replace any cords that accept cleaved or cracked external covering and any cord that has exposed wire.
    • Do not allow children to play with whatsoever electrical string.
    • Limit use of extension cords and be sure the cord is rated for the electric current (measured in amps) that will be drawn by the device existence powered.
    • Use outlet covers to protect infants from exploring electrical outlets.
    • Update erstwhile, ungrounded electric outlets to grounded (3-prong) systems. Supplant outlets near any water (sink, tub) with fused (GFCI) outlets.
  • In children older than 12 years, most electrical injuries result from exploring and activities around high-ability systems. Explain to adolescent children that they should not climb on power towers, play most transformer systems, or explore electrified train rail or other electrical systems.
  • Amid adults, utilise of mutual sense tin can help reduce electric injury. People who piece of work with electricity should e'er check that the ability is off before working on electrical systems. Avoid use of whatever electrical device near h2o. Be careful of standing in water when working with electricity.
  • Use caution when outdoors during a thunderstorm containing lightning. Protect yourself from lightning strikes by seeking shelter in a sturdy building or crouching depression and away from copse and metallic objects if caught outdoors.

Outlook

Recovery from electric shock depends on the nature and severity of the injuries. The percentage of the body surface area burned is the most important factor affecting prognosis.

If someone who has received an electric shock does not suffer immediate cardiac abort and does non accept astringent burns, they are likely to survive.

Infection is the most common crusade of expiry in people hospitalized post-obit electrical injury.

Electric damage to the brain may result in a permanent seizure disorder, depression, anxiety, or other personality changes.

Multimedia

Media file i: Electric shock, contact injury to manus. Photograph by Timothy G. Price, Dr..

electric shock 1

Media file ii: Electric daze burns due to electric current flow through metal framed glasses. Photo by Timothy G. Toll, MD.

electric shock 2

Media file 3: Electric stupor injury to the human foot. Photo courtesy of William Smock, Doctor.

Media file 4: Electric shock injury to the paw. Photograph courtesy of William Smock, MD.

Synonyms and Keywords

electric stupor, electrocution, electrical burn, high voltage stupor

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Source: https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/electric-shock