Electric shock
LIFE-THREATENING DISORDERWhen an electric current passes through the body, the damage it does depends on the intensity of the current (amperes, milliamperes, or microamperes), the resistance of the tissues it passes through, the kind of current (alternating current, direct current, or mixed), and the frequency and duration of current flow.
Electric shock may cause ventricular fibrillation, respiratory paralysis, burns, and death. The prognosis depends on the site and extent of damage, the patient’s state of health, and the speed and adequacy of treatment.
Causes
Electric shock usually follows accidental contact with exposed parts of electrical appliances or wiring, but it may also result from lightning or the flash of electric arcs from high-voltage power lines or machines.
The increased use of electrical medical devices in the hospital, many of which are connected directly to the patient, has raised serious concern for electrical safety and has led to the development of electrical safety standards. However, even well-designed equipment with reliable safety features can cause electric shock if it’s mishandled. (See Preventing electric shock, page 292.)
Clinical TipElectric current can cause injury in three ways: true electrical injury as the current passes through the body, arc or flash burns from current that doesn’t pass through the body, and thermal surface burns caused by associated heat and flames.
Signs and symptoms
Severe electric shock usually causes muscle contraction, followed by unconsciousness and loss of reflex control, sometimes with respiratory paralysis (by way of prolonged contraction of respiratory muscles or a direct effect on the respiratory nerve center).
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