injuries and poisoning
Lightning Injuries
Introduction
A lightning injury occurs after brief exposure to the very intense current of the strike. About 10% of people who are struck by lightning die because the heart stops beating and breathing stops. In some people who survive severe lightning injury, an Electrocardiography is done to monitor the heartbeat, and blood or imaging tests are needed. Once the person is resuscitated, burns and other injuries are treated. Lightning delivers a massive electrical pulse over a fraction of a millisecond. Electrical current passing through the body generates heat, which burns and destroys tissues. Burns can affect skin and sometimes internal tissues. The brief duration of the exposure frequently limits the damage to the outer layer of skin. In addition, lightning is much less likely to cause internal burns than Electrical Injuries from generated electricity. However, it can kill a person by instantaneously short-circuiting the heart. Lightning can also damage the nervous system, including the brain, causing Lightning is the second most frequent cause of storm-related deaths in the United States, resulting in about 30 deaths and several hundred injuries each year. Some injuries result in permanent disability. Lightning tends to strike tall or isolated objects, including trees, towers, shelters, flagpoles, bleachers, and fences. A person may be the tallest object in an open field. Metal objects and water do not attract lightning but easily transmit electricity once they are hit. Electricity from lightning can travel from outdoor power or telephone lines to electrical equipment or telephone lines inside a house. Lightning can injure a person in several ways: Lightning can strike a person directly. Electricity from lightning can reach a person who is touching or near an object that has been struck. Electrical current can reach a person through the ground. The shock can throw a person, causing blunt injuries. 