Electrical Injuries Flashcards
Amperes (Amps)
Is a way to measure or referrer to the electrical current or flow of electricity from volts (potential) across a conductor (flow) considering for resistance
Volts
The difference in electrical potential between two points
Ohms
A measure of the ability to resist electrical flow
What tissue has low resistance?
Nerve tissue
What tissue has high resistance
Fat and bone tissue
What kind of resistance does skin have?
Both high and low depending on if it is wet or not
What does a lot of resistance mean
There will be more energy lost as heat, this is what leads to burns sustained in electrical injuries
What is an AC
Alternating current
-most common
-flows backward and forward
-measured in Hertz
-Will make you hold onto the source
What is a DC
Direct current
Less common in routine daily life. However, hybrid and electric vehicles operate on direct current
Factors that influence electrical injury
-Intensity of the current
-Type of current
-Tissue resistance
-Duration of exposure
-The pathway
What does low voltage AC cause
V-fib, can cause the pt to be stuck to the electrical source
What does high voltage AC or DC cause
Asystole, can throw a pt from the source which causes that pt to have secondary injuries
What three types of burns can be caused by electricity
-contact burn
-arc-type or flash burn
-flame burn
What is a contact burn?
-most common
-produces bulls-eye lesion sites
What are the parts of a contact burn
-Central charred zone (full thickness) (zone of coagulation)
-Middle zone of cold grey tissue (zone of stasis)
-Outer red zone of necrosis (zone of hyperaemia)
