Citation

Blount BW. Am. Fam. Physician 1990; 42(2): 405-415.

Affiliation

Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Washington.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1990, American Academy of Family Physicians)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2200249

Abstract

Lightning kills or injures thousands of people in the United States each year. Injuries are caused by the effects of electrical, thermal and mechanical energy, and a wide range of clinical results, involving multiple body systems, is possible. Important differences exist between lightning victims and patients injured by fire or by other forms of electricity. In lightning victims, successful resuscitation is highly likely, even among patients with conventional signs of brain death. With proper management, long-term physical and psychologic sequelae of lightning injury are rare.

Language: en