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Electrical injury

An electrical current is very damaging to the human body since the body is a very good conductor of electricity. An electrical current can cause damage to the body in several ways, including cardiac arrest due to the electrical effect on the heart, massive muscle destruction from a current passing through the body, and thermal burns from contact with the electrical source.

Review Date: 11/2/2023
Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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