The child with an electrical injury

Electrical injuries usually occur in the home and involve relatively low currents and voltage. This chapter covers the important strategies for managing electrical injuries in addition to the ABCDE approach: switch off the current, and check all systems for possible injury. Electrical burns are still one of the main injuries to result in amputations of limbs and can have devastating consequences. Alternating current produces cardiac arrest at lower voltages than does direct current. High-voltage sources such as lightning or high-tension cables cause extremely high currents and severe tissue damage. However, very high voltages can cause severe superficial burns without damage to deeper structures. The classic injury pattern develops when the body becomes part of a circuit and is usually associated with entrance and exit wounds. Associated injuries are common in electrocution. Almost all possible injuries can occur as a result of falls or being thrown from the source.