An unusual case of high‐voltage electrical injury involving fractal wood burning

Abstract

Abstract A 26‐year‐old female was brought to the emergency department after an apparent electrocution. She was unresponsive, pulseless, and found to be in ventricular fibrillation upon arrival. The patient achieved return of spontaneous circulation after defibrillation. Further examination showed partial to full thickness burns to both hands, right chest wall, and buttocks. She was stabilized and then transferred to a regional burn center for additional care. Further history revealed the patient had learned how to create art with Lichtenberg figures using a high‐voltage transformer extracted from a home microwave oven and a wooden canvas, a process called fractal wood burning. There are countless online video tutorials that describe how to replicate this process; however, the dangers of this practice are frequently omitted and have now become a growing public health concern. This article hopes to expand on the previous single publication, discuss the exceedingly high mortality rate, motivate emergency medicine providers and other clinicians to publish cases related to fractal wood burning‐related injuries, and promote public awareness of this perilous practice.

Keywords

• cardiac arrhythmias
• defibrillation
• electrical burn
• electrical injury
• electrocution
• high voltage