Citation

Figgis P, Alvarez G. J. Med. Case Reports 2012; 6(1): 244.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group - BMC)

DOI

10.1186/1752-1947-6-244

PMID

22905675

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Lightning is the second most common storm-related cause of death. The mortality following lightning strike is 10% to 30% and a large proportion of these people suffer cardiopulmonary arrest at the time of the strike. Much less commonly, solid organ injuries occur from either primary or secondary blunt force trauma. CASE PRESENTATION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report in the literature of an isolated esophageal rupture caused by lightning strike blunt force trauma, occurring in a 79-year-old Caucasian man. CONCLUSIONS: Solid organ injuries are often under appreciated in lightning strikes. Blast injury to patients by lightning strikes should prompt clinicians to search for occult organ injury.

Language: en