Any electrical shock can result in electrocution, and the degree of damage depends on the electrical voltage. The following systems may suffer harm in an electric shock or electrocution incident. Continue reading to learn more:
- According to the integumentary system, skin and delicate tissue are frequently harmed when a person comes into touch with electricity. Depending on how much current they come into touch with, they often sustain severe burns requiring urgent medical care.
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Electrical injuries can range from small skin burns to life threatening internal organ damage. The most extreme form of electric shock, such as caused by a lightning strike, often results in instant death by electrocution.
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The most extreme form of electric shock, such as caused by a lightning strike, often results in instant death by electrocution. There is a lack of evidence regarding the management of patients after electrical accidents, which can cause concern for clinicians when these patients present.
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Complications from electrical injuries are similar to those of other thermal burns, such as infection (which can progress to sepsis), compartment syndrome, and rhabdomyolysis (due to extensive muscle damage from internal burns).
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- Musculoskeletal System: After only a brief time of having current flowing through their body, the survivor of an electrocution event is frequently tossed. The organs and musculature may sustain injury or trauma as a result of the human body being exposed to electric current. Rhabdomyolysis and kidney injury are potential consequences of this kind of harm. A trauma squad should see the injured person as soon as possible.
- Respiratory System: When someone is shocked, their airways typically sustain no harm. This is due to the fact that the lungs do not conduct electricity as well as other bodily organs. This does not preclude respiratory failure from happening to the individual. The stiffening of the chest muscles brought on by the current passing through the thorax can induce respiratory arrest. A respiratory arrest may also occur if the voltage travels through the area of the brain that regulates respiration.
- Cardiovascular System: Depending on the quantity of electricity used, electrocution can directly affect the heart, causing the ventricles to oscillate, ventricular fibrillation, or a loss of cardiac rhythm. If the patient does not receive urgent medical attention for any of these, they could all-cause mortality.
- Central Nervous System: Head and spinal cord injuries are possible in the event of electrocution, although they are not always the result of the current passing through the body. Instead, it happens when they have launched away from the electrical current’s source, mainly if they are launched from a height, like launching them off a scaffold.
After being electrified and suffering central nervous system injury, there may be lingering issues, such as:
- Mental health problems like anxiety and depression.
- Seizures.
- Injured spinal nerve
Injury from Electrocution Treatment
Even if the damage does not seem severe, the individual who sustains this kind of injury should receive urgent medical care. Those who endure this injury may experience a painful and protracted recovery process. When there has been permanent bodily damage, medical care is required immediately and for some time afterward. The danger of dying from shock still exists.