Electrical injury

An electrical injury (electric injury) or electrical shock (electric shock) is damage sustained to the <a href="/facts/Skin/4havlLzG">skin</a> or internal organs on direct contact with an <a href="/facts/Electric_current/Dc1xdnUX">electric current</a>.
The injury depends on the <a href="/facts/Current_density/IlUKSe2B">density of the current</a>, tissue resistance and duration of contact. Very small currents may be imperceptible or only produce a light tingling sensation. However, a shock caused by low and otherwise harmless current could startle an individual and cause injury due to jerking away or falling. A strong electric shock can often cause painful <a href="/facts/Spasm/62EfFXKP">muscle spasms</a> severe enough to <a href="/facts/Joint_dislocation/vad93F0d">dislocate joints</a> or even to <a href="/facts/Bone_fracture/faEv3Ve5">break bones</a>. The loss of muscle control is the reason that a person may be unable to release themselves from the electrical source; if this happens at a height as on a <a href="/facts/Overhead_power_line/jULhrQNv">power line</a> they can be thrown off. Larger currents can result in tissue damage and may trigger <a href="/facts/Ventricular_fibrillation/7rCnI7zf">ventricular fibrillation</a> or <a href="/facts/Cardiac_arrest/HIAm9AWX">cardiac arrest</a>. If death results from an electric shock the <a href="/facts/Cause_of_death/cdhCU6Ak">cause of death</a> is generally referred to as <a href="/facts/Electrocution/GcWp4q3b">electrocution</a>.
Electric injury occurs upon contact of a body part with <a href="/facts/Electricity/hNC8D65W">electricity</a> that causes a sufficient current to pass through the person's tissues. Contact with energized <a href="/facts/Electrical_wiring/Ibfa7Eq7">wiring</a> or devices is the most common cause. In cases of exposure to high <a href="/facts/Voltage/EN2po6N2">voltages</a>, such as on a <a href="/facts/Power_transmission_tower/snFJ3do3">power transmission tower</a>, direct contact may not be necessary as the voltage may <a href="/facts/Electric_arc/1hUPPAG0">"jump" the air gap</a> to the electrical device.
Following an electrical injury from household current, if a person has no symptoms, no underlying heart problems, and is not pregnant further testing is not required. Otherwise an <a href="/facts/Electrocardiogram/YpVswJ0W">electrocardiogram</a>, blood work to check the heart, and urine testing for signs of muscle breakdown may be performed.
Management may involve <a href="/facts/Resuscitation/4XVQBKkV">resuscitation</a>, pain medications, wound management, and <a href="/facts/Electrocardiography/YpVswJ0W">heart rhythm monitoring</a>. Electrical injuries affect more than 30,000 people a year in the <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a> and result in about 1,000 deaths.

Electrical injury open-in-new

Electrical injury