Types of electrical injuries, causes. First aid for electrical injuries

By electric trauma means traumatic damage to the integrity, functions of tissues and organs, which appears under the influence of industrial, domestic or natural electric current. Different types of electric trauma have a different effect on the body, which can result in burns, violations of the physicochemical composition of the blood, tissue ruptures, fractures, dislocations, violations of internal bioelectric processes. Such injuries often lead to death.

Classification of electrical injuries

By the nature of the lesion, the following types of electrical injuries can be distinguished.

- Local injuries are manifested in burn injuries of the skin, soft tissues, ligaments, electro-ophthalmia (damage to the outer shells of the eye), metallization of the skin. Local electric trauma is characterized by the appearance of electrical signs on the body - sharply outlined patches of gray or pale yellow, appearing in places of contact with current sources.

- General injuries are accompanied by electric shock of muscle groups, manifested in convulsions, paralysis of the heart, respiration.

Depending on the severity of all types of electric injury divided into four degrees.

- Injuries of the 1st degree of severity are manifested by convulsions without loss of consciousness. There is also a pallor of the skin, general excitement, shortness of breath, headache, a rise in blood pressure. Already after the termination of the traumatic shock, the victim begins to experience pain.

- Injuries of the 2nd degree of severity are accompanied by tonic convulsions and loss of consciousness. At the second degree of electric injury, the blood pressure is reduced, minor disturbances in the respiratory system. Often there is a cardiac arrhythmia, a shock.

- The third degree of severity is characterized by severe respiratory disorders, seizures, rupture of the vessels of the lungs, disruption of the heart and circulatory system, a sharp decrease in blood pressure, a violation of the heart rhythm, retinal detachment, edema of the brain, lungs. Necrotic foci may appear in the lungs, liver, spleen, thyroid and pancreas. The consequence of a third degree injury can be a coma.

- For IV degree respiratory arrest is typical as a result of paralysis of the respiratory center and ventricular fibrillation of the heart. Often occurs when an electric current passes through the head of a person.

According to the nature of the effect of electric current, the following types of electric trauma can be distinguished:

- Instant, received in a few seconds;

- chronic, obtained with constant and prolonged contact with a source of strong current.

The causes of electric injury

To receive an injury from an electric current it is possible at interaction with a source in a life, on manufacture or at lightning strike. A direct lightning strike is a spontaneous, force majeure factor from which a person can not be insured. In other cases, the reasons are as follows.

- Psychophysiological character. That is, the trauma can be the result of a diminished attention, a stressful situation, excessive fatigue, a state of health, the presence of a person under the influence of drugs, alcoholic beverages.

- Technical nature. For such reasons, the malfunction of electrical equipment can be attributed, as a result of which there may be a voltage in the metal parts of the device; Use of electrical appliances not for their intended purpose; Outages in the supply of voltage; Violations of the rules for the operation of devices.

- Organizational nature. The causes of electric trauma of an organizational nature can be a negligence when working with devices connected to the mains, neglecting the elementary rules of safety at work and at home.

Electric injuries account for only 2-2.5% of all injuries, and most of them are received by people whose profession is directly related to electricity, that is, electricians, high-voltage constructors, builders.

There may be electrical injuries in the presence of a dangerous electrical voltage or current, due to the characteristics of the body and the state of human health, the environmental conditions.

Symptoms of electric shock

Immediately at the time of electric shock, a person can feel the push, spasm, muscle, a burning blow. After the current ceases to operate, the main symptoms are observed from the central nervous system. Signs of injury from electric current have much in common with the clinical picture of brain concussion. There is sluggishness, inhibition, indifference to the environment, nausea, headache and dizziness.

The cardiovascular system responds so much to electric trauma:

- initial increase, and then a sharp decrease in blood pressure;

- Increased heart rate;

- Arrhythmia;

- widening the boundaries of the heart.

In the lungs, a wet wheeze may appear, radiographic images show foci of emphysema, a cough occurs. In some cases, acute respiratory failure is found. Some victims suffer from vomiting, diarrhea, nausea.

Burns with electric trauma

An electric burn occurs at the place where the electric current enters and exits. But the absence of current labels should not be taken as an excuse for excluding electric trauma. Many victims (more than 30%) lack marks.

Electric burn also has several degrees of gravity.

The first degree is a small foci of epidermal coagulation without the formation of blisters.

Burns of the second degree of severity provide total damage to the skin with the formation of blisters.

The third degree is accompanied by lesions of the entire thickness of the skin and dermis. There is superficial necrosis.

With the fourth degree of severity, not only the integuments are affected, but also the underlying tissues, deep necrosis develops.

Surface burns with electric trauma are less common than deep burns. Electro-injury in some cases can be accompanied by damage to extensive tissue sites or even charring of limbs.

Diagnosis of injuries from lightning

In the case of a trauma resulting from a lightning stroke, one observes:

- temporary blindness;

- temporary dumbness and deafness;

- a pathological sense of fear;

- fear of light;

- paralysis of the respiratory and cardiac system;

- headache.

The brightness of these specific symptoms depends on the severity of the injury.

First first aid for electrical trauma

In order to be able to help the injured person, you must first of all protect yourself. It is necessary to de-energize the voltage source, pull the wire from the victim's hands. If this is not possible, then it is necessary to isolate the victim from the current source. To do this, you need to use protective equipment, such as a board, a wooden stick, a sealed tool, rubberized gloves, insulating stands, rubberized shoes. If there are no such safety devices nearby, then you can protect yourself by moving to the victim by small "duck steps". The feet should not be torn from the ground. The toe of one leg should always be in line with the heel of the other leg.

To pull the injured person from the place of injury is necessary at a distance of 10-15 meters. At the same time, it should be kept by the edges of the clothes, without touching the exposed parts of the body. First aid for electrical trauma should be started when the victim is in a safe place. Checks for breath and pulse. If they are not probed, then it is worth starting to do artificial respiration and indirect heart massage. If the person has not lost consciousness, he should give any sedative, give as much as possible a drink in anticipation of the arrival of an ambulance.

If the skin is clearly visible burns, they should be bandaged if there are clean bandages or tissue. If there is a suspicion of a fracture, then you should put the tire on the limb.

Follow-up treatment for burns

Follow-up care for first-degree electric trauma is not always necessary. The person with injuries of 2nd, 3rd and 4th severity after receiving the first necessary care should be taken to a traumatic or surgical clinic where he will be provided with qualified medical care.

The first thing that is done is a vaccination against tetanus. Then begins local treatment of burns and general treatment aimed at restoring disturbed systems, body functions.

As anti-burn measures, sterile bandages with a disinfectant are applied to the label sites. Burned skin can be exposed to ultraviolet radiation, which facilitates the process of cell death and accelerates the process of formation and recovery of healthy epithelium.

In parallel with local treatment of damaged areas of the body, intensive infusion therapy is necessary, which restores cardiac activity, as well as the work of the central and peripheral nervous system.

The main types of complications after electrotrauma

Electric current injuries are dangerous both in themselves and the consequences that can develop immediately and subsequently, after undergoing rehabilitation and complete recovery from trauma. Complications can occur:

- disturbances in the work of the vestibular apparatus;

- hearing impairment;

- retrograde amnesia;

- paresis limbs;

- damage to the kidneys, liver, the formation of stones in the organs;

- damage to the blood vessels, spinal cord, brain;

- psychosis and frustration of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system;

- a coma;

- massive bleeding.

If an electric current has passed through the head, then trauma of the visual organs with retinal detachment, clouding of the lens, pathological changes in the intraocular medium, and the development of glaucoma are also inevitable.

Prevention of electrical injuries

The main prevention of injury from electric current is the observance of safety precautions at the time of operation, installation and repair of electrical equipment. People working with an electric shock should be well instructed, should have personal protective equipment. People serving the existing electrical installations should undergo periodic medical examinations twice a year. In this case, it is necessary to pass a therapist, surgeon, neurologist, ophthalmologist, otolaryngologist according to the indications.

If the basic safety rules are followed, many injuries from electric current can be avoided.