Contents

Disclaimer

Oxford University Press makes no representation, express or implied, that the drug dosages in this book are correct. Readers must therefore always check the product information and clinical procedures with the most up to date published product information and data sheets provided by the manufacturers and the most recent codes of conduct and safety regulations. The authors and the publishers do not accept responsibility or legal liability for any errors in the text or for the misuse or misapplication of material in this work. Except where otherwise stated, drug dosages and recommendations are for the non-pregnant adult who is not breastfeeding.

Show Summary Details
Page of

Pathophysiology and management of electrocution 

Pathophysiology and management of electrocution
Chapter:
Pathophysiology and management of electrocution
Author(s):

Jeffrey S. Neiger

and Richard G. Trohman

DOI:
10.1093/med/9780199600830.003.0349
Page of

PRINTED FROM OXFORD MEDICINE ONLINE (www.oxfordmedicine.com). © Oxford University Press, 2021. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a title in Oxford Medicine Online for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).

date: 28 July 2021

Electrocution is a common source of morbidity and mortality, primarily affecting young children through accidents in the home and adults through occupational exposure. A familiarity with the basic principles of electrical physics helps elucidate the typical injuries sustained following electrical shock. Although death is a frequent result, patients successfully resuscitated following initial cardiopulmonary arrest often have a favourable prognosis. Survivors of electrocution may suffer injuries to a variety of organ systems, including the skin, cardiovascular system, and nervous system, and are generally treated in specialized burn units. Such patients are considered trauma patients, and should be treated accordingly. Determination of prognosis is often difficult, because the full extent of injury from electric shock is not always initially apparent.

Access to the complete content on Oxford Medicine Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts for each book and chapter without a subscription.

Please subscribe or login to access full text content.

If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.

For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.