Deaths associated with electric shock injuries in children and adults: A 10-year retrospective examination in Sanliurfa, Southeast Turkey (2012-2022).

Electric shock injuries (EIs) have high rates of morbidity and mortality in both children and adults. The aim of this study was to examine autopsy cases resulting from EIs and to compare pediatric and adult groups with respect to sociodemographic data, clinical characteristics, location of the incident, electricity entry-exit wound characteristics, current direction, pathological effects of the electric shocks on the body, and cause of death. A total of 8075 autopsies conducted between 2012 and 2022 were retrospectively examined. Sanliurfa is a city in the southeast of Turkey with the highest birth rate in the country. Of 123 cases of death resulting from EIs in Sanliurfa, 58 (47.2%) were children (age < 18 years). In the majority of children (81%), a low-voltage injury resulted from a domestic appliance while the children were playing at home in a rural area. In the vast majority of adults, a high-voltage injury (HVI) resulted from a workplace accident due to working with HVI materials in an area outside the home. The manner of death was accidental in all the electric shock injuries. The electricity entry and exit wounds formed as a result of EIs had similar characteristics in both children and adults, with no significant difference identified. In the province of Sanliurfa, Turkey, which borders Syria and where the main occupation is agricultural activities, there is a need to increase electrical safety precautions within the home, educate parents, and increase electrical safety conditions and worker education in the workplace.

Experiencia en tres casos de reconstrucción de nervio periférico en quemaduras electricas / Experience in three cases of peripheral nerve reconstruction in high voltage electrical injury

Introducción y objetivo: Las quemaduras eléctricas de alta tensión en nuestro país, Paraguay, constituyen un serio problema de salud pública debido a su elevado porcentaje en comparación con otros países. Debido a que, en su gran mayoría, afectan a la población adulta trabajadora de sexo masculino, nos vemos obligados a evitar el mayor número de amputaciones posible.Teniendo en cuenta esta problemática, comenzamos en nuestro Servicio de Cirugía Plástica a realizar la reparación de los nervios periféricos en miembros que aparentemente no tenían buen pronóstico. Material y método: Describimos 3 casos de pacientes con quemaduras eléctricas de alta tensión que presentaron lesiones severas de tejidos blandos, nervios y tendones en miembro superior. Tras el protocolo de apoyo vital, lavados, desbridamientos seriados y cobertura de tejidos blandos con colgajo inguinal, llevamos a cabo la reparación nerviosa a los 3 meses de la lesión.Resultados: A pesar de las brechas nerviosas importantes entre los cabos afectados, el injerto de nervio sural demostró ser efectivo en los 3 pacientes, con recuperación de al menos la sensibilidad protectora en los territorios de los nervios mediano y cubital en el miembro afectado. La reconstrucción nerviosa además se complementó con reconstrucciones como injertos, transferencias tendinosas y fisioterapia para optimizar la función de la mano. Conclusiones: Los 3 casos presentados fueron capaces de realizar sus actividades de la vida cotidiana una vez finalizada la reconstrucción. (AU)

Background and objective: High voltaje electrical burns in our country, Paraguay, are a public health problem because of their high incidence when compared with other countries. As most of the affected patients are adult men at work, we felt the responsability to avoid as most as posible amputation cases.Due to this problematic, we began in our Plastic Surgery Unit to repair peripheral nerves in upper limbs with initial bad prognostic.Methods: We describe 3 patients with high voltaje electrical burns afecting upper limb soft tissues, nerves and tendons. After vital support, serial debridement and reconstruction using inguinal flap, nerve reconstruction was conducted 3 months after the initial injury.Results: In spite of the great damage, sural nerve grafts were effective in the 3 patients, who recovered at least protective sensibility in medial and cubital áreas. Nerve reconstruction was completed with other grafts, tendinous tranfers and phisitoterapy to optimize hand function.Conclusions:Our 3 patients recovered their usual dayly activi- ties after reconstruction. (AU)

Assessment Of Creatine Phosphokinase (CPK) Changes In Patients With High-Voltage Burns.

The aim was to evaluate change in creatine phosphokinase (CK) enzyme in high-voltage burn patients. A retrospective study was conducted of 104 patients (aged from 16 to 83 years old) who suffered from burns due to high voltage and were treated as inpatients at the National Burns Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups: patients with limb amputations in group A and patients without limb amputations in group B. Analysis was conducted on medical records of testing for plasma CK level immediately upon admission and during treatment. Testing of CK plasma enzyme was performed on an AU480 machine manufactured by Beckman Coulter. Data were processed using SPSS 20.0 software. Average plasma CK index increased on the first day of admission. In group B, plasma CK enzyme index increased from 5.5 to 22.4 times, and in group A this index increased from 5.6 to 46.5 times compared with the plasma CK index of normal people (170 U/l). The mean plasma CK enzyme index in the amputation group (n=20) was higher than in the non-amputation group (n=84). In patients with limb amputations, CK levels significantly decreased after deep necrosis incision and after amputation (p=0.00001). In patients with burns due to high voltage, plasma CK levels rise in the first days after burns. Increased plasma CK enzyme levels are directly proportional to total burn surface area (TBSA) and burn depth. After escharotomy and amputation, plasma CK levels decreased significantly compared to preoperation levels.

Cette étude rétrospective a pour but d'évaluer les variations des concentrations de CPK cez 104 patients (de 16 à 83 ans) hospitalisés dans l'hôpital brûlologique national après une électrisation par haut voltage. Ils ont été répartis en 2 groupes, selon qu'ils aient subi (groupe A, 20 patients) ou non (groupe B, 84 patients), une amputation de membre. Nous avons récupéré dans les dossiers et étudié les analyses de CPK, faites par le AU480 de Bekman- Coulter (normale ≤170UI/L), effectuées à l'entrée et durant le séjour. L'analyse statistique a utilisé SSPS 20.0. La concentration de CPK était multipliée par 5,6 à 46,5 chez les amputés, par 5,5 à 22,4 chez les autres. Les concentrations de CPK diminuaient significativement après aponévrotomies et amputations (p=0,00001), comparativement à leur niveau pré- opératoire. Les CPK augmententdans les jours qui suivent l'électrisation et sont proportionnel à la surface atteinte ainsi qu'à la profondeur des lésions.

High-voltage electrical injury: Modified surgical technique for optimal defect closuring of extra-large cranial defect.

Electrical burns are group of traumatic injuries with a mortality rate of 3-15%. High-voltage induced extensive electric burns are rarely seen in the cranial area, compared to upper and lower limbs, but extremely difficult for treatment, due to the limited flexibility in this area. The spectrum of therapeutic interventions in electrical burns in general, evolving initial necrectomy, decompression, and aggressive debridement with early skin coverage is usually not enough in cases of extensive cranial defects. The performance of a suitable flap combined with skin graft in donor site, and further implantation of expander is challenging in this area. We present a case of a high-voltage induced extra-large cranial injury in a 38-year-old man, treated with modified single large rotation flap and a split skin-thickness graft technique, for optimal defect closuring with satisfied aesthetic result.

Electrical burn injury: a comparison of outcomes of high voltage versus low voltage injury in an Indian scenario.

Electrical burn injury (EBI) is a mutilating form of injury. The objective of this study was to evaluate the various aspects of EBI and analyse the differences between high voltage injury (HVI) and low voltage injury (LVI). A retrospective study was conducted by reviewing the medical records of all burn admissions from June 2016 to May 2017. A total of 1572 patients were admitted, of which 385 (24.49%) had suffered an electrical injury. 104 (27.01%) patients sustained LVI and 281 (72.98%) HVI. One hundred patients from both groups were randomly selected using the chit method, in order to analyse their differences. In our study, the mean age was 35.23±19.96 in the HVI group and 24.15±14.39 years in the LVI group. Most of the injuries were work related. Events during the early phase of admission included a rise in serum creatine phosphokinases, myoglobinuria, renal failure, abnormal cardiac events and other concomitant injuries in the HVI group (p<0.001). Unfavourable outcomes in the form of amputations, prolonged hospital stay and high mortality rate were observed in the HVI group (8.5%) (p<0.027). However, LVI cannot be overlooked as number of reconstructive surgeries and mean number of operations showed no significant difference between both groups. HVI has a disastrous impact on burn survivors but LVI cannot be underestimated. We advocate a low threshold for managing associated injuries, education on safety principles, for men at work especially, and infrastructure improvement by the state to bring changes to the present scenario.

Les brûlures électrothermiques (BET) sont des blessures particulièrement mutilantes. Le but de cette étude rétrospective, conduite à partir des dossiers des patients hospitalisés entre juin 2016 et mai 2017 est d'analyser les BET et de comparer celles par bas voltage (BBV) à celles par haut voltage (BHV). Parmi les 1 572 patients, 385 (24,69%) avaient une BET dont 104 (27,01%) BBV et 281 (72,98%) BHV. Nous avons tiré au sort 100 dossiers de chaque groupe. L'âge du groupe BHV est de 32,23 +/- 19,96 ans, celui de BBV de 24,15 +/- 14,39 ans. La plupart des accidents ont lieu au travail. Le groupe BHV est plus à risque de complications initiales (rhabdomyolyse avec élévation des CPK, myoglobinurie, insuffisance rénale, complications cardiaques) et a plus fréquemment des lésions associées (p<0,001). La mortalité (8,5%) est plus élevée dans le groupe BHV, ainsi que le nombre d'amputations ainsi que la durée de séjour. Toutefois, il ne faut pas minimiser la gravité des BBV car le nombre d'intervention, initiales et de reconstruction, est superposable à celui observé dans les BHV. La prise en charge doit être spécialisée même en cas de BBV et la prévention (mesures de sécurité en particulier au travail, amélioration des infrastructures) doit être améliorée.

Cardiac monitoring always required after electrical injuries?

BACKGROUND: Controversy still exists regarding inpatient monitoring of patients exposed to electrical injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a monocentric retrospective study, we evaluated the medical records of 169 patients admitted to the University Hospital of Cologne from January 2000 to January 2014 because of electrical trauma. The electrocardiogram (ECG) data of 40 patients were missing. RESULTS: Patients in our collective were predominantly young men (60 %) with an average age of 17.5 ± 17 years (1 year to 73 years). The electrical trauma occurred occupational (20 %), domestic (65 %), and during leisure time (15 %). In the high-voltage (≥ 1000 V) group (n = 7; 71 % male; 40.0 ± 19.4 years) one death was reported, related to an open intracranial injury and cardiac arrest. Of the six surviving patients five showed normal ECGs and one a sinus tachycardia. In the low-voltage (< 1000 V) group (n = 162, 56 % male; 5.0 ± 4.3 years) the ECG findings were as follows: 104 normal, 5 sinus tachycardia, 3 sinus arrhythmia, 6 ST segment changes, 3 premature atrial contraction, 1 premature ventricular contraction, 1 atrio-ventricular (AV)-Block and 1 delta wave. In all, one patient showed a self-limiting supraventricular tachycardia. CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic and stable patients without any risk factors and with a normal initial ECG need no inpatient cardiac monitoring after an electrical injury.

Electrical injury in relation to voltage, "no-let-go" phenomenon, symptoms and perceived safety culture: a survey of Swedish male electricians.

PURPOSE: Professional electricians are highly subjected to electrical injuries. Previous studies describing symptoms after electrical injury have not included people with less severe initial injuries. The purpose of the present study was to describe symptoms at different time points after electrical injury, the impact of "no-let-go" phenomenon and different electrical potential [high voltage (HV) vs. low voltage (LV)], and the safety culture at the workplace. METHODS: A retrospective survey was conducted with 523 Swedish electricians. Two questionnaires were issued: the first to identify electricians who had experienced electrical injury and the second to gain information about symptoms and safety culture. Self-reported symptoms were described at different time points following injury. Symptoms for HV and LV accidents were compared. Occurrence or nonoccurrence of "no-let-go" phenomenon was analysed using two-tailed Chi-2. Safety culture was assessed with a validated questionnaire. RESULTS: Nearly all reported having symptoms directly after the injury, mainly paraesthesia and pain. For the first weeks after injury, pain and muscle weakness dominated. The most frequently occurring symptoms at follow-up were pain, muscle weakness and loss of sensation. HV injuries and "no-let go" phenomenon were associated with more sustained symptoms. Deficiencies in the reporting routines were present, as well as shortage of preventive measures. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that symptoms are reported also long time after an electrical injury and that special attention should be paid to HV injuries and "no-let go" accidents. The workplace routines to reduce the number of work-related electrical injuries for Swedish electricians can be improved.