Home > Encyclopedia of Medicine > Electric Shock Injuries

Definition

Electric shock injuries are caused by lightning or electric current from a mechanical source passing through the body.

Description

Electric shocks are responsible for about 1, 000 deaths in the United States each year, or about 1% of all accidental deaths.

Causes and symptoms

The severity of injury depends on the current's pressure (voltage), the amount of current (amperage), the type of current (direct vs. alternating), the body's resistance to the current, the current's path through the body, and how long the body remains in contact with the current. The interplay of these factors can produce effects ranging from barely noticeable tingling to instant death; every part of the body is vulnerable. Although the severity of injury is determined primarily by the voltage, low voltage can be just as dangerous as high voltage...