Lightning Injury

Lightning strikes kill between 150 and 300 people a year in the United States (more than most other natural disasters combined). Lightning is a form of DIRECT CURRENT (DC), unlike ALTERNATING CURRENT (AC) used in our homes. The voltage from lightning may vary between 103 million to 2 billion volts, with the current ranging anywhere from 2,000 to 300,000 amps. Duration of exposure [to the lightning] is a key factor in the degree of injury. Lightning injuries differ from electrical injuries, in that most of the electricity from an electrical injury travels through the body, causing deeper tissue damage. Lightning, with its overwhelming power, tends to travel "outside" the body, burning the skin where it may be wet. For this reason, there are usually no entrance and exit wounds that are typically present with electrical injuries.

There are several different ways of describing lightning injuries yet, a "direct strike" probably accounts for the largest percentage of deaths. The most common cause of death is cardiac arrest. The massive electrical discharge disrupts all normal cardiac activity.

COMPLICATIONS OF LIGHTNING INJURY

1. THERMAL BURNS - This occurs where the skin was wet, or due to metal jewelry that becomes super-heated by the electricity.

2. PARALYSIS - This is commonly a transient phenomenon that is rectified after several hours. Permanent neurologic deficits have been reported.

3. EYE INJURY - Injury to the eyes leads to development of cataracts at the time of injury or later.

4. EAR INJURY - More than half of lightning victims experience ear drum rupture (one or both sides).

5. FRACTURES - Occasionally, breaks of the clavicle (collar bone), skull, or long bones of the body occur.

ALL these patients require EMERGENCY medical evaluation.

Hope this article will provide you information about lightning injury.


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12 Facial Injury Jaw Fracture and Dislocation
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12 Lightning Injury
12 Oral and Tongue Injuries
12 Nasal Fracture or Contusion
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12 Pelvic Bone Fracture
12 Puncture Wounds
12 Chest Injury Rib Fracture
12 Back Injury Sacrococcygeal Injury
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12 Abrasion Injuries
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12 Abdominal Injury Ruptured Spleen
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INJURIES

Abdominal Injury
Abdominal Injury: Contusion
Abrasion
Amputations
Animal Bites
Ankle Fracture
Ankle Injury
Ankle Injury: Contusion
Ankle Sprain
Back Injury
Back Injury : Sacrococcygeal Injury
Back Strain
Burns
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Chemical Burns
Chest Injuries
Chest Injury: Aortic Rupture
Chest Injury: Hemothorax
Chest Injury: Myocardial Contusion
Chest Injury : Pneumothorax
Chest Injury: Pulmonary Contusion
Chronic Back Pain
Clavicle Fracture
Compression Fractures
Contusions
Decompression Sickness
Disc Disease
Gunshot Wounds
Hand Injury: Fingertip Amputations
Head Injury
Liver Injury
Marine Stings
Muscle Strains
Rib Fracture
Ruptured Spleen
Shoulder Injury: A-C Separation
Spider Bites
Spinal Cord Injury
Sternum Fracture
Testicular Injury
Wrist Injury
hi Scuba Related Injuries
i Hand Injury Finger Amputaion
de Lecerations
de Cold Injury and Hypothermia
dd Dental Injury
xs Facial Injury
sdf Neck Injury
e Shoulder Injury Dislocation
e Ear Injury
ed Elbow Injury
de Elbow Injury Fracture
dfe Elbow Injury Nursemaids
ee Electrical Injury
de Eye Injury
ed Facial Injury General Considerations
fr Facial Injury Contusion
ed Hand Injury Finger Sprains
ded Fingernail and Toenail Injuries
dd Hand Injury Fractures
23 Head Injury Skull Fracture and Concussion
44 Chest Injury Myocardial Contusion
fde Heat Illness
ed Hest Injury Hemothorax
y Back Injury Disc Disease
;l High Altitude Illness


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