Electric Injury

Electric injury
By Dr.Husam shawaqfeh
• Electric injury in general is harmfull for human body and it is common
subject in Forensic Medicine
• Subclassed as :
1. Direct contact to electric current
2. Indirect contact BY electromagnetic zone
surround the current
• Typical places to be affected by electric injury are :
1. Houses : due to loose control
2. Factories : due to no caution and plenty of risks on the workers in it
• And in general is more common in undeveloped countries these

accidents .
• This risk for such injuries 1.5%-3% between all types of injuries and
has to many complications and risks to death ( harmful )
Subtype of electric injuries
• Mechanical injuries
• Thermal injuries
• Direct electric injuries
Death in electric injuries
• Ventricular fibrillations MOST common and Most dangerous
• Respiratory arrest due to Pulmonary muscle stoppage
• Central nervous system depression which leads to cardiopulmonary
arrest
• Neurological shock Due to PAIN by electric current it self
Immediate signs and symptoms for electric
injuries
• Mild electric current ➔mild jerk
• Moderate electric current ➔ mild jerks evolutes to seizure in the
fingers and hand …forearm if the current keep moving
• Severe electric current ➔ muscle tetanic contractions WHICH LEADS
TO :
1. Closed hand on the electric wiere which make the electric injury
more severe or through away the victim away from it due to tetanic
contraction
2. The tetanic contraction is dangerous when the respiratory muscles
are involved which leads to SUSPENDED ANIMATION
CALL EMERGENCY
• GOLDEN TIME in 5-6 minutes
Could be complicated by recurrent suspended animation or convulsions
• The case of death is related to age , health , body weight , immunity ,
the emergency provided by health care providers , condition of the
site and place
Risks of electric current depends on :
• Strength of the current ( mild- moderate – severe )
• Resistance of the electric current
• Voltage
• Time of direct contact with electric current
• The surface of contact
• The current`s pathway through the body ( right hand ➔ right
leg………left hand ➔ heart➔ left leg
• R= V/I
R: resistance and called Ω AUM

V: VOLT
I : strength of current in AMBERE
STRENGTH OF THE CURRENT IN AMBERE THE INJURY RELATED
1 milli ambeer Mild jerk
2 milli ambeer Numbness in the palm of hand
4 milli ambeer Mild spasm in forearm
7 milli ambeer Mild spasm in the whole upper limb unilateral
9 milli ambeer Severe contraction on wiere
10 milli ambeer Convulsions ➔ through away from electric current
could lead to death due to dropping away
80-100 milli ambeer MOST DANGEROUS Suspended animation
4-5 ambeer or more Not dangerous because it is very quick but can do
burns
risestence
Surface resistance plays important role in the electric current injury :
the best surfaces are fluids as water
• As more as fluids in the biological tissues as higher as the risk of
death
• The blood is the best transporter for electric injury , then the CNS
• The skin is the worst transporter for electric injury .
• Wet skin has double value for transporting electric injury more than
dry skin
‫االصابة الناجمه‬ ‫الشدة‬ ‫الفولتيه‬ ‫المقاومة‬
‫موت مفاجئ‬ ‫‪100-200 mA‬‬ ‫‪100 V‬‬ ‫‪500-1000 Ω‬‬
‫غالبا موت‬ ‫‪1-2 A‬‬ ‫‪1000 V‬‬ ‫‪500-1000 Ω‬‬
‫ينجو الشخص ‪ ,‬مع‬ ‫‪10-20 A‬‬ ‫‪10000 V‬‬ ‫‪500-1000 Ω‬‬
‫التعرض للحروق‬
‫صدمه عنيفه‬ ‫‪20 mA‬‬ ‫‪100 V‬‬ ‫‪5000 Ω‬‬
‫موت مؤكد‬ ‫‪200 mA‬‬ ‫‪1000 V‬‬ ‫‪5000 Ω‬‬
‫الموت غالبا ‪ ,‬احتمال‬ ‫‪2A‬‬ ‫‪10000 V‬‬ ‫‪5000 Ω‬‬
‫وقوع الموت‬
‫احساس خفيف بالتيار‬ ‫‪2 mA‬‬ ‫‪100 V‬‬ ‫‪50000 Ω‬‬
‫الكهربائي‬
‫صدمه عنيفه‬ ‫‪20 mA‬‬ ‫‪1000 V‬‬ ‫‪50000 Ω‬‬
‫موت اكيد‬ ‫‪200 mA‬‬ ‫‪10000 V‬‬ ‫‪50000 Ω‬‬
AC & DC
• As more as AC ( Alternative current ) ➔ higher risk for death
• DC ( Direct current ) more risk than AC to death because it has
constant value as 320-400 milli ambeer
Signs of electric injury
• Local effects :
1. Because of the current it self
2. Thermal injury
• General effects :
Types of burns
• Electromagnetic zone affects burn.. The patients with cardiac disease
& CNS diseases are more common , electric generators
• Burns in the outer clothes , skin ..has inlet & exit burns
Inlet burn
• Depends on the Ambeer and timing of contact
• Localized on the direct contact zone ( wiere holded by hand ) imprint
burn of wiere in hand
• The electric burn skin injury are clean injury , GRAFTING are common
Inlet burn grossly
• Deep
• Painless
• Slow scarring
• Clean injury
• Solid
• Not tenderness , due to localized nerves necrosis
• GRAFT effective
• No risk for bacteria over growth , clean at site
Exit burn
• Synonym for inlet burn , with black hole in the center surrounded by
edges due to high tempreture
• The exit center surrounded by pale ovum shape and the pale ovum
shape surrounded by signs of inflammation
• More common to find holes I shoes in inlet or exit burns

• Inlet wound ➔ center inward
• Exit wound ➔ center outward
• Inlet more common to be in hands or head
• Exit more common to be in feet
• As higher voltage as more burns

Electric Burns by pathology
• Skin necrosis
• Skin swelling
• Spongy tissue
metalization
• The imprint of metals such as rings watches or belts on the body after
electric current effects , more predominant as higher tempreture
Complications of electric current injury
• Local compications : scars on the affected site
• Cardiac complications : electrocardiac disorders as ventricular
fibrillation and arrhythmia or angina , since injury up to 3 month after
it .
• CNS complications : paralysis , convulsions , seizures …parkinsonism
syndrome , sense and neural effects , MORE common in the first 6
month after injury
• Ophthalmology complications : cataract , 5-6 years after injury …risk
of blindness , optic nerve atrophy
DEATH in electric injury
• Cardiopulmonary arrest
• Tetanic contractions ➔ diaphragmatic paralysis
• Ventricular fibrillations
POST MORTEM INVISTIGATIONS
• At the scene ➔ the current`s wiere
• Inlet , exit burn injury
• Metalization
• By autopsy ➔ petechiae hemorrhages , lung congestion and edema ,
blood fluidity , dilated cardiac chambers , hypostasis
• ELECTRIC INURGY IS AN ACCEDENTS , MAY BE SUICIDAL

• JUIDICIAL ELECTRIC DEATH , COMMON IN SOME COUNTRIES
LIGHTINING
Lightining
• It is a type of strong Direct current ( DC ) electric injury with high
voltage ➔more than million volts , the lightening developing in the
air and transporting to earth in milliseconds
• Injury :
✓Maybe not fatal sometimes but it leaves a reddish marbling marks on
the shoulders and upper chest called Lichtenberg marks .
✓The Lichtenberg marks due to vasodilation and congestion of blood in
them .
✓Lichtenberg marks is done without burning or minimal injury related
to upper skin
Theories about Lichtenberg marks
• Static electricity discharges along superfacial vasculature
• Hemoglobin staining the tissues in the pattern of a tree due to break
down of RBCs within the capillaries of the skin
• Electron showers eliciting an inflammatory response in the skin
• Current following lines of perspiration and moisture skin
• Minuete deposits of copper in the skin

Electric Injury

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Electric Injury

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Electric Injury

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Electric injury

• And in general is more common in undeveloped countries these

R: resistance and called Ω AUM

• More common to find holes I shoes in inlet or exit burns

• As higher voltage as more burns

• ELECTRIC INURGY IS AN ACCEDENTS , MAY BE SUICIDAL

You might also like