Electric Shock Management?

What is Electric Shock Management.

 Electrical shock occurs when an electrical current travels through the body. Injuries from electrical shock happen when someone accidentally comes in contact with an electrical source, such as a frayed cord or a downed power line.

This article discusses the causes, signs, effects, and prevention of electrical shock.

Causes. 

An electric shock occurs when someone has direct contact with a high-voltage current that travels through the body.

Several things can cause an electric shock, including:

Being struck by lightening. 

Contact with downed power lines. 

Putting fingers or objects into an electrical socket. 

Touching faulty or frayed electrical cords or appliances. 

Touching overloaded electrical outlets. 

Prevention From Electric Shock.

Cover all outlets.

Ensure that wires are properly insulated and covered.

Keep wires away from children's reach.

Supervise children in areas with possible electrical hazards, such as electrical appliances near a bathtub or pool.

Turn off the circuit breaker when working with electricity in the home.

Don't use electrical appliances in the bath or shower.

There are several ways to prevent electrical shock outside of the house, including:

Report any fallen or broken power lines immediately to your power company. Do not touch them under any circumstances.

Do not drive or walk through standing water if power lines may have fallen in the water.

If you come in contact with a power line while in your car, stay in your car and drive away if possible. If you are unable to drive away, stay in your vehicle and call emergency services. Wait until emergency services arrive, and do not let anyone close to your vehicle.

Call an electrician to fix electrical circuits that are wet or near water. If possible, turn off power at the main breaker but never enter standing water to access it.

Never work on or near an electrical source while standing in water, especially if using an electrical tool.

Make sure that electrical equipment is completely dry before restoring power.

Have a certified electrician confirm that turning the power back on is safe.

Turn off your main circuit breaker if there is a burning odor but no obvious source, or if you can see sparks and frayed wires when you turn the power back on.

When installing or using a generator, talk to your utility company about usage. Don't use generators without approved, automatic-interrupt devices. Generators can be a fire hazard if they remain online once electricity resumes.

EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC SHOCK ON HUMAN BODY.

Electrical injuries are some of the most complex cases treated across Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America’s (BRCA) care system. They are much more involved than what is visible on the outside.

Burns: Electrical injuries often involve burns. If it is a high-voltage electrical injury, the shock will cause burns anywhere from first-degree burns (minor burns) to fourth-degree burns (severe burns) on the body. Depending on the mechanism, however, electrical shocks can also cause a person’s clothes to catch fire, incurring thermal burns that way as well. The burns may appear:

First-degree: red or pink skin with no blistering

Second-degree: red and moist in appearance with blistering

Third-degree: dry, tight and leathery, brown/tan/waxy or pearly white in appearance

Fourth-degree: black and charred in appearance with possible muscle or bone involvement

Traumatic injuries: Traumatic injuries can happen depending on where and how the electrical injury occurs. A traumatic injury such as a spinal or cranial injury might occur due to an electrical shock if the shock is powerful enough to throw a person physically or if the shock happens at a great height. Spinal injuries may also occur after sudden extension from tetany (muscular spasms or seizing), which can cause vertebral fractures. If this is the case, traumatic injuries will take precedence over burns, and the person will be taken to a trauma unit before being transferred to a burn unit.

Compartment syndrome: Compartment syndrome occurs after a severe burn when the affected areas begin to swell. The swelling (edema) can cut off the blood supply and cause even more damage. Emergency medical intervention is necessary to restore the blood supply and save healthy tissue when this happens.

Amputation: In severe electrical shock where the person has suffered fourth-degree burns, amputation may be necessary. Fourth-degree burns affect the skin, tissues, vessels and muscles and bone. Typically, electrical shock amputations involve the areas with exit or entrance wounds.

Internal damage: Most of the damage from electrical shock cannot be seen on the outside. As the current travels through the body, internal organs and tissues can be damaged. Some internal damage that can be caused by electrical shock include:

Vascular compromise: the blood vessels, arteries and veins are highly conductive to electricity. Electric shock may damage the blood vessels, arteries and veins by causing them to burst, cutting off the blood supply, causing painful varicose veins and more.

Lethal dysrhythmias: the heart is a muscle that pumps using electrical pulses. Electric shock can disrupt or mask these pulses, throwing the heart out of rhythm and possibly causing cardiac arrest.

Organ failure: electric shock can cause organ failure or multiple organ failure. This may include the heart (cardiac arrest), the kidneys (renal failure) and more.

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