injuries poisoning
Electrical Injuries
Introduction
Electrical injury is damage caused by generated electrical current passing through the body. Symptoms range from skin burns to damage to internal organs and other soft tissues, cardiac arrhythmias, and respiratory arrest. Diagnosis is based on history, clinical criteria, and selective laboratory testing. Treatment is supportive, with aggressive care for severe injuries. Although accidental electrical injuries encountered in the home (eg, touching an electrical outlet or getting shocked by a small appliance) rarely result in significant injury or sequelae, accidental exposure to high voltage results in nearly 300 deaths annually in the US. There are>30,000 nonfatal shock incidents a year in the US, and electrical burns account for about 5% of admissions to burn units in the US. 