Emergency Access and Impact of Injuries Caused by Electrocution and Lightning

Abstract

Electrical injury is a physiological reaction caused by electric current passing through the body. Electric injuries can be caused by the impact and exposure to electric current or lightning either at home or at work. The injury depends on the density of the current, tissue resistance, and duration of contact. Very small currents may be imperceptible or produce a light tingling sensation. Injuries can range from minor, moderate, to severe, and fatal injuries are just as likely to occur at home as in the workplace, with around 20 Australians dying each year from electric shock. The purpose of this paper is to study how well-trained healthcare professionals in both pre-hospital and hospital settings are in treating patients in the case of electric shock and injuries caused by lightning, including the triage, assessment, monitoring, treatment, and transport with medical care in pre-hospital settings The research was conducted based on data obtained from assessments of health care professionals based on anamnestic data, the status of vital parameters, monitoring, medical procedures, system-level injuries, type of health care delivery, and location. Conclusions; Given the discrepancies found in reporting pathological conditions and injuries pertaining to electrical burn wounds, a standardized system for classifying these pathological conditions is suggested. Although electric shock-related mortality is not the leading cause of death in high-prevalence areas, awareness needs to be raised.

Keywords

• Electrical injury
• triage
• assessment
• monitoring
• treatment
• medical care