MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Electrical injury

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Electrical injury

An electrical current is very damaging to the human body since the body is a very good conducter of electricity. An electrical current can cause damage to the body in several ways:

Cardiac arrest due to the electrical effect on the heart
Massive muscle destruction from a current passing through the body
Thermal burns from contact with the electrical source

Update Date: 8/9/2007

Updated by: Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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