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Electrical injury

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Electrical shock

First Aid:

1. If safely possible, shut off the electrical current. Unplug the cord, remove the fuse from the fuse box, or turn off the circuit breakers if possible. Often, simply turning off the appliance itself will not stop the flow of electricity.

2. Call for medical help.

3. If the current can't be turned off, use a non-conducting object, such as a broom, chair, rug, or rubber doormat to push the victim away from the source of the current. Don't use a wet or metal object. If possible, stand on something dry and non-conducting, such as a mat or folded newspapers. Do not attempt to rescue a victim near active high-voltage lines.

4. Once the victim is free from the source of electricity, check the victim's airway, breathing, and pulse. If either has stopped or seems dangerously slow or shallow, initiate first aid ( CPR ).

5. If the victim has a burn, remove any clothing that comes off easily, and rinse the burned area in cool running water until the pain subsides. Give first aid for burns.

6. If the victim is faint, pale, or shows other signs of shock , lay the victim down, with the head slightly lower than the trunk of the body and the legs elevated, and cover the person with a warm blanket or a coat.

7. Stay with the victim until medical help arrives.

8. Electrical injury is frequently associated with explosions or falls that can cause additional traumatic injuries, including both obvious external injuries and concealed internal injuries. Avoid moving the victim's head or neck if a spinal injury is suspected. Administer appropriate first aid as needed for other wounds or fractures.

Do Not:

• DO NOT touch the victim with your bare hands while the person is still in contact with the source of electricity.
• DO NOT remove dead skin or break blisters if the victim has acquired burns.
• DO NOT apply ice, butter, ointments, medications, fluffy cotton dressings, or adhesive bandages to a burn.
• DO NOT touch the skin of someone who is being electrocuted.
• DO NOT get within 20 feet of someone who is being electrocuted by high-voltage electrical current until the power is turned off.
• DO NOT move a victim of electrical injury unless there is immediate danger.

Call immediately for emergency medical assistance if:

Call for emergency medical help if the victim is unconscious, confused, has difficulty breathing, has skin or mouth burns, or was in contact with a high-voltage source.

• Review Date: 11/4/2005
• Reviewed By: William D. Whetstone, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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