INTRODUCTION: Electrical burns account for up to 10% of burns admissions worldwide and are a potentially serious mechanism of injury. The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiology, presentation, management and complications of electrical burn injuries in adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study of all adult patients with electrical burns admitted to a tertiary burns centre. RESULTS: Eighty-two cases were identified. The mean age was 40 ± 2 years, 92.7% were males. The most common activities causing the injuries were work (39%) and do-it yourself activities (32%). A low voltage (< 1,000 W) power source was involved in 78% of cases. The mean total body surface area involved was 3 ± 0.3%. The head, hands, and other upper extremities were the body parts most frequently injured. The mean hospital stay was 2 ± 1days. CONCLUSION: Electrical injury was an infrequent but potentially serious cause of injury in adults. Minor injuries were successfully managed non-operatively. Electrical burns in adults are mainly low voltage burns contracted by manual workers resulting in a flesh burn. Although rare, the loss of digits, neurological sequelae, cardiac arrhythmias and renal failure remain serious complications in a significant number of cases.
- Keywords
- Burns, adult: burns, electric, operative, surgical procedures,
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Upper Extremity MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Burns, Electric * epidemiology therapy MeSH
- Burn Units MeSH
- Body Surface Area MeSH
- Retrospective Studies MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Eleven patients with high-tension electrical-arc-induced thermal burns due to railway overhead cables were treated at the Bratislava Burn Department during a relatively short period of 18 months. All the injuries occurred by the same mechanism, that is persons climbing on top of railway carriages and approaching the 25,000 V a.c. overhead cables. All the burns were the result of an electrical arc passing externally to the body, with subsequent ignition of the victim's clothes. The cutaneous burns, ranging from 24 to 79 per cent of the BSA, were mostly deep partial to full skin thickness injuries. One patient died on day 5 postburn, the other survived. In spite of high-tension aetiology, no true electrical injuries appear to have occurred and no amputations were necessary. The pathophysiology and possible preventive measures are discussed. It must be stressed that arcing can be induced by an earthed object approaching, but not touching, a cable carrying a high voltage.
- MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage etiology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Burns, Electric complications etiology MeSH
- Body Surface Area MeSH
- Railroads * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper is to ascertain the number of patients with a burn injury sustained during an epileptic seizure treated in our facility, to identify the characteristics of these types of injuries and to suggest preventive measures, which could reduce the frequency and morbidity of such injuries. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study, identifying all patients admitted with burns sustained during an epileptic seizure within a period of six years. RESULTS: Totally 7 women with an average age of 45 years were enrolled in this retrospective study. Mean BSAB was 2.4% (range 0.5-6). All burns occurred in a domestic setting during household activities (cooking, ironing). Thermal injury included contact burn (6 patients with deep burns), followed by scald (one patient with superficial burns). 6 of 7 patients (85%) required excision of deep burns and skin grafting procedure. The average duration of hospital stay was 13 days. Collected data were compared with the results and findings of similar studies and analysed. A list of preventive measures is included. CONCLUSION: Patients with epilepsy should be informed about all potential threats at the time of neurological diagnosis including also the risk of serious burn injury, which should be emphasised.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Epilepsy epidemiology MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Burns epidemiology surgery MeSH
- Burn Units MeSH
- Body Surface Area MeSH
- Registries MeSH
- Retrospective Studies MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Slovakia epidemiology MeSH
- Keywords
- ANESTHESIA *, BURNS *,
- MeSH
- Anesthesia * MeSH
- Anesthesiology * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Burns * MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Keywords
- BODY TEMPERATURE REGULATION *, BURNS *, HYPOTHALAMUS *,
- MeSH
- Hypothalamus * MeSH
- Burns * MeSH
- Body Temperature Regulation * MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
2723 children were treated in the Burn Department of the Pediatric Clinical Hospital No. 9, Moscow, during 3 years (1986-1988), among them 1465 children being under 3 years of age. Since 1985, the Department has been using the beds of "Clinitron" type, 79 children (3 months-14 years of age) with extensive burns having been treated on the Clinitron beds with air-fluidized pillows. During the treatment, the children received the usual therapy accepted in the Department. The use of the air-pillows beds promoted rapid drying of the wounds, accelerated epithelialization of the superficial burns, reduced the periods of the wound preparation for autodermoplasty for deep burns, prevented rejection and lysis of the replanted grafts.
- MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Beds * MeSH
- Bedding and Linens MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Burns nursing therapy MeSH
- Burn Units methods MeSH
- Child, Preschool MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Child, Preschool MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Five patients showed delayed spinal cord damage following high-tension electrical injury. Early specialist care of this complication is necessary and is best carried out in burn units. Our experience shows that recovery may be complete or only partial.
- MeSH
- Time Factors MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Neurologic Examination MeSH
- Paralysis etiology MeSH
- Burns, Electric complications MeSH
- Spinal Cord Injuries etiology MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Case Reports MeSH
BACKGROUND: There were totally 2320 patients during the period 2004-2013 hospitalised in our workplace with thermal injury, 87 of which were electric burns (3.75%). RESULTS: The majority of electric burns occurred to men 67 cases (76.74%), then to children - 18 cases (20.94%) and the rest to women - 2 cases (2.32%). The mechanism of injury to the group of men was direct contact with the source of current (54.5%), electric arc injury (37.9%), ignition of clothes and subsequently flame (6.1%), and lightning injury (1.5%). The cause of injury to the group of children was contact injury (83.4%), electric arc injury (16.6%); no ignition or lightning injury occurred. The cause of injury in the group of women (2 cases) was contact injury for both; no arc, ignition or lighting injury occurred. The average extent of burn wounds was 11.7% in the group of men, 5.83% in the group of children and 2% in the group of women. Surgical treatment (necrectomy, skin grafting, flap, and amputation) was necessary in 41 cases in the group of men, in 15 cases in the group of children and in 2 cases in the group of women. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Electric injury is a common problem in modern world. Some authors reported a 16.9% contribution of electric injuries of all hospitalised burn patients. There were 3.75% electric injury cases of all hospitalised burn patients in our department in the last nine years. The occurrence varies from year to year.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Burns, Electric epidemiology etiology surgery MeSH
- Child, Preschool MeSH
- Sex Distribution MeSH
- Age Distribution MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Child, Preschool MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Slovakia epidemiology MeSH
