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Electrocution
From WikEM
Contents
Background
- Finger
- Mouth
- Electrical cord bite
- Usually arc burns that may involve the orbicularis oris muscle, the oropharynx, and damage to the developing dentition
- Extremities
- Kissing burn: occurs at the flexor creases of the extremities due to current flowing across opposing skin surfaces as the extremity is forced into flexion by an electric shock
- Lightning injuries
- Power Lines
End Organ Effects
- Brain: lack of concentration
- Eyes: cataracts
- Ears: Ruptured TMs
- Cardiac: Arrhythmia
- Renal: ARI
- Rhabdomyolysis
- Mouth/Lip
- Usually a child who bites an electrical cord
- Significant risk of delayed bleeding from the labial artery exists when the eschar separates
- occurs 3 to 14 days post injury
Management
- Burned tissue should not be debrided
- Cleansed and a petroleum-based antibiotic ointment applied to exposed skin areas
Cardiac Monitoring Indications
- Cardiac Arrest
- loss of consciousness
- abnormal ECG
- dysrhythmias (prehospital or ED)
- suspicion of conductive injury
- hypoxia
- chest pain
References
Rosen
