One caution: If you determine that the victim is still in contact with a high-voltage current from a downed power line, don't try to touch him at all. Tell the 911 operator to contact the power company to have the electricity turned off immediately. Do not approach or touch the victim until you are sure the power has been turned off. Once you are certain the current has stopped, begin first aid for electric shock immediately.Īssess the victim's condition and check for breathing. If breathing has stopped, call 911 and begin CPR immediately. If the person is breathing but unconscious, check for burns. These may be present at both the entry and exit sites of the electric current, so check the entire body. Cover burns with sterile gauze bandages, if available, or a clean cloth. Don't put heavy blankets or towels on the burns, because their weight could cause pain. Treat minor burns as you would any kind of burn. If the wound is serious, however, don't try to cool the burn or apply ointment or oil to it.Ī person with an electrical burn should get immediate medical attention, even if the skin doesn't seem injured or if the wound does not appear deep. Electrical burns often cause serious injury inside the body that may not be apparent on the skin. If you have any doubts, call 911, even if the victim is conscious and says she feels okay. Electrical burns are often deeper and more serious than they appear. While you're waiting for help, check to see if the victim is faint or shows signs of shock, including pale or clammy skin and a rapid pulse. Electric shock can be prevented by strict compliance with safety rules in assembling, operating, and repairing electrical devices.If this is the case, elevate her legs slightly, cover them with a light blanket, and wait for help. Hospitalization after electric shock is essential to treat burns and neurovascular disturbances. The prognosis for a victim of an electric shock depends on the promptness with which he is given first aid, which includes quick removal from contact with the current and, in severe cases, artificial respiration and cardiac massage. The changes differ in extent, from tiny “marks” to charring of a limb. Currents greater than 350 v give rise to local changes-third and fourth degree electric burns in the places where the current enters and leaves the body. An alternating current of about 450–500 volts (v) is more dangerous than a direct current of the same voltage however, at higher voltages direct currents are more dangerous. An alternating current of about 100 ma acts directly on the heart, causing fibrillation and requiring the use of a defibrillator to restore normal rhythmic contractions. There is loss of consciousness, and clinical death occurs, requiring resuscitative efforts. Also disturbed are the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Currents of 25 ma or greater cause all the muscles of the body to go into spasm, including the respiratory muscles, thereby threatening death from asphyxia. Contact with a current of 15 ma causes muscular contraction so strong that it is impossible to free the fingers holding the wire. Currents under 10 milliamperes (ma) produce only unpleasant sensations and, in more severe cases, involuntary muscular contraction near the point of contact with the electric wire (for example, arm muscles). The severity of an electric shock varies with the parameters and duration of the current. Such injuries most often occur in the home or at the workplace they also result from contact with lightning.
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