Electrical injuriesare uncommon, but when they do occur, they can leave long-lasting effects on the body.
This article discusses the symptoms, complications, and long-term effects of post electric shock syndrome.
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What Are Electrical Injuries?
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Electrical currents can damage the heart, muscles, and nerves, and can cause burns on the skin.
Often, a blast effect throws a person away from the electrical current.
How Often Do Electrical Injuries Occur?
Electrical injuries are uncommon.
There were 2,220 nonfatal electrical injuries involving days off from work in 2020.
Most patients evaluated in a hospital with a low-voltage injury go home the same or next day.
Very few people require further care in the hospital.
If an electrical injury is fatal, it will likely cause death immediately.
Burns
Sometimesburnsfrom an electrical injury may not appear severe on the outside of the body.
Still, electricity can burn tissue on the inside of the body.
Lethal heart problems occur immediately after the event.
Other abnormalities detected in the hospital by anelectrocardiogramare common in people who have had electricity travel through the chest.
However, these people usually do not develop symptoms and do not require further intervention.
They may be sent home with instructions to look for signs of nerve, skin, or muscle damage.
People who sustain electrical injuries typically do not develop life-threatening electrical heart problems later.
No imaging or laboratory tests help link chronic symptoms to a previous electrical injury.
Additionally, the long-term symptoms are nonspecific and are common in other disorders.
The severity of the long-term effects is not proportional to the degree of electrical injury.
The symptoms include:
Significant electrical injury has also been associated withdepressionandpost-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD).
Older research studies estimate that 58%85% of people with an electrical injury develop subsequent psychiatric problems.
However, psychiatrists are developing a diagnostic tool that may create more visibility and accuracy in the diagnosis.
Summary
Electrical injuries are not common, but they can have long-term effects on the body.
Significant electrical injuries usually occur in the workplace, at either high or low voltages.
Immediate concerns after an electric shock include burns, cardiac problems, and muscle damage.
However, people can also develop long-term neuropsychological issues with symptoms that ultimately form post electric shock syndrome.
However, significant injuries can occur and lead to lifelong problems.
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