TY - JOUR PY - 1986// TI - Electrocardiographic monitoring after electrical injury: necessity or luxury JO - Journal of trauma A1 - Purdue, G. F. A1 - Hunt, J. L. SP - 166 EP - 167 VL - 26 IS - 2 N2 - It has been common practice to perform routine electrocardiographic (EKG) monitoring of electrically burned patients for the first 24 hours following injury. Is this monitoring necessary, or is it a luxury based on remote probabilities? The records of 48 consecutive patients admitted with high-voltage (greater than 1,000 volts) electrical injuries were reviewed with respect to history of a cardiac event in the field, EKG abnormalities on admission, and the presence of cardiac arrhythmias during the first postinjury day. No serious arrhythmias occurred in any patients who had a normal EKG on admission. It was concluded that routine cardiac monitoring after a high-voltage injury should be individualized based on history of loss of consciousness, documentation of an arrythmia, or an abnormal EKG.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0022-5282 UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -