This document provides information about electrical injuries, including definitions of electricity and different types of electrical currents. It then gives a brief history of electricity, covering discoveries from the 1600s to 1900s. It discusses factors that determine the severity of electrical shocks like current, resistance, and exposure time. Finally, it covers safety considerations and risks for household, industrial, and high voltage electrical incidents.

1. ELECTRICAL INJURIES

2. DEFINITION
 e·lec·tric·i·ty (ĭ-lěk-trĭs'ĭ-tē, ē'lěk-)
n.
– The physical phenomena arising from the behavior of
electrons and protons that is caused by the attraction of
particles with opposite charges and the repulsion of
particles with the same charge.
– The physical science of such phenomena.
 Electric current used or regarded as a source of power.
 Intense, contagious emotional excitement.

3. ELECTRICITY
101
HISTORY

4. 1600’s
 Electricity was studied by William Gilbert
 Gilbert published a book on electricity and
magnetism using for the first time the word
electria

5. 1660
 Otto von Guericke invented a machine that
produced static electricity, this was the first
electric generator.

6. 1729
 Charles Francois du Fay discovered
electricity comes in two forms, now known
as positive and negative

7. 1745
 Almost simultaneously in Holland and
Germany the Leyder jar was invented. This
was the first capacitor ( a device that stores
and releases electricity)

8. 1747
 Henery Cavendish began measuring the
conductivity of different materials

9. 1752
 Ben Franklin discovered that lightning and
electricity are one in the same leading to
Franklins invention of the lightning rod, the
first practical application of electricity

10. 1786
 Luigi Galvani discovered what we now
know to be the electrical basics of nerve
impulses by making a frogs muscles twitch
when jolted with electricity.

11. 1831
 The principle of conducting electricity was
used to create the telegraph.

12. 1835
 Thomas Davenport built the first roadworthy
electric car, but due to battery cost it was
not practical.

13. 1870
 Thomas Edison was working with DC
current and in 1885 Edison’s lighting system
was developed

14. 1900’s
 Finely in the early 1900’s George
Westinghouse pioneered the use of AC
current that we use today.

15. ELECTRICITY
101
Math

16. Electric Shock
 The severity of a electric shock
depends on?
–The current that passes through
the body.
–Where the current passes.
–The length of time for exposure.

17. Electric Shock
 Household current can feel as
only a mild tingle to a fatal
shock. Why?
–The amount of resistance in the
body.

18. Electric Shock
 Body Area Resistance (ohms)
– Dry skin100,000 to 600,000
– Wet skin1,000
– Internal body (hand to
foot)400 to 600
– Ear to ear~100

19. Electric Shock
 AC vs. DC
– AC, particularly of the common 50-60 Hz
(cycles/second) variety, is three to five times
more dangerous than DC (direct current) of the
same voltage and amperage (current strength).

20. Electric Shock
 Lets look at resistance and current.
– Current is determined by Volts over ohms.
– Or
– 1.2mA……….or just enough to feel.

21. Electric Shock
 Then in this example we have decreased
the ohms.

22. SCENE SAFETY
Household
Industrial
High voltage

23. HOUSEHOLD
 Who is the MOST important person when
responding to a electrocution in the
household?
 What hazards do we need to be aware of?
– Has the Pt. been removed from the power
source.
– Has the power been shut off.

24. HOUSEHOLD
 What can we do to assure that there will be
no danger of becoming a victim?
 What type voltage and current will we be
dealing with.
– 110 to 220 & 1mA to 300mA
 Voltages in this range will take the path of
least resistance.

25. HOUSEHOLD
 1mA Is the threshold of being able to feel a
small tingle.
 5mA Is the accepted maximum harmless
current.
 10-20mA Beginning of sustained muscle
contraction (“I cant let go”).
 100-300mA V-fib, fatal if continued.

26. INDUSTRIAL
 Who is the MOST important person on the
call?
 Are there any additional hazards when we
respond to the industrial site?
 What types of voltage a current will we find
here?
– 120 to 460 volts or more in AC or DC

27. INDUSTRIAL
 What can we do to assure that there will be
no danger of becoming a victim?
 What type voltage and current will we be
dealing with.
– 110 to 480 or more & 1mA to 300mA
 Lower voltages will take the path of least
resistance, while the higher voltages will
follow the most direct to ground.

28. INDUSTRIAL
 In the industrial setting we will find all the
amperages we discussed in household.
 Plus up to 6A or more.
 In this range we can expect to see
sustained ventricular contraction followed by
normal heart rhythm, temporary respiratory
paralysis & possibly burns.

29. HIGH VOLTAGE
 Who is the MOST important person on this
call?
 Are there additional hazards to this call?
 Who will we need to contact with this type
call?
 What type voltages will we find here?
– 1000 to 1,000,000 volts

30. HIGH VOLTAGE
 Who will be exposed to this type hazard?
– Auto accidents
– Ice storms
– Tree services
– Roofers
– Cable TV
– Power company crews
– Construction sites

31. HIGH VOLTAGE
 This type of voltage will take the shortest
path to ground.
 There will be entrance & exit burns.
 Extensive tissue damage between the
entrance & exit.
 Upon exit the electricity can cause the
tissue to explod

32. HIGH VOLTAGE
 Entrance Wound: High
resistance of skin
transforms electrical
energy into heat, which
produces burns around
the entrance point
(dark spot in center of
wound). This man was
lucky, the current
narrowly missed his
spinal cord.

33. HIGH VOLTAGE
 Exit Wound: Current flows
through the body from the
entrance point, until finally
exiting where the body is
closest to the ground. This
foot suffered massive
internal injuries, which
weren't readily visible, and
had to be amputated a few
days later.

34. HIGH VOLTAGE
 This man was near a
power box when an
electrical explosion
occurred. Though he did
not touch the box,
electricity arced through
the air and entered his
body. The current was
drawn to his armpits
because perspiration is
very conductive.

35. HIGH VOLTAGE
 This worker was
shocked by a tool he
was holding. The
entrance wound and
thermal burns from the
overheated tool are
apparent

36. HIGH VOLTAGE
 This worker fell and
grabbed a power line to
catch himself. The
resulting electric shock
mummified his first two
fingers, which had to be
removed. The acute angle
of the wrist was caused by
burning of the tendons,
which contracted, drawing
the hand with them.

37. CONCLUSION
 BE SAFE DON’T BECOME PART OF THE
PROBLEM!!!! THINK!!!
 Airway.
 Breathing.
 Control bleeding
 Treat the cardiac issues per A.C.L.S.
 This is a trauma Pt.