Emergency Medical Minute

Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD Educational Pearls: Quick Statistics on Electrical Burns: Electrical burns compose roughly 2 to 9% of all burns that come into emergency departments. The majority of patients who receive electrical burns are male, typically aged 20's to 30's, accounting for 80 to 90% of all electrical burn victims. The majority of burns are linked to occupational exposure. The upper extremities are more commonly impacted by electrical burns, accounting for 70 to 90% of entry points into the body during an exposure. What are some of the key considerations in electrical burns? Unlike chemical or fire/heat related burns, electrical burns have the potential to cause significant internal damage that may not be physically appreciated externally. This damage can include, but is not limited to: Cardiac dysthymias (PVCs, SVT, AV block, to more serious ventricular dysrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia). Deep tissue injury resulting in rhabdomyolysis from the initial