Knowing what to do in the event of an electric shock is very important because, in addition to helping to avoid consequences for the victim, such as severe burns or cardiac arrest, it also helps to protect the person doing the rescue against the dangers of electrical energy.
In these cases, first aid is:
1. Cut or disconnect the power source, but do not touch the victim;
2. Remove the person from the electrical source that was causing the shock, using non-conductive and dry materials such as wood, plastic, thick cloths or rubber;
3. Call an ambulance by calling 192;
4. Observe if the person is conscious and breathing;
- If conscious: calm the victim until the medical team arrives; If you are unconscious, but breathing: lay it on its side, placing it in a safe lateral position. Find out how you can do this correctly; If you are unconscious and not breathing: start cardiac massage and mouth-to-mouth breathing. See how the massage should be done;
5. Continue doing the previous step until medical help arrives.
The chances of saving the electrocuted victim decrease over time and after the 4th minute of receiving the electric shock, the chances of survival are less than 50%.
Thus, these first aid measures should be started as soon as possible, especially the first step, to prevent the electric current from doing too much damage to the body and resulting in serious complications.
Main complications of electric shock
In addition to the immediate risk of death, when the current is very high, electric shock can affect the body in other ways, such as:
1. Burns
Most accidents with electric shocks only cause minor burns on the skin of the shock site, however, when the voltage is too great, excess electricity can affect the internal organs.
When electricity reaches the internal organs it can cause serious problems in its functioning and, therefore, the person may need to be treated for kidney, heart or other affected organ failure, for example.
2. Heart problems
When a small electric current passes through the chest and reaches the heart, it can cause atrial fibrillation, which is a type of cardiac arrhythmia that must be treated in the hospital to avoid putting the victim's life at risk.
When the electric current is very high, as in the case of shocks in high voltage poles, the current is so high that it interferes with the electrical activity of the heart and the muscle, causing a cardiac arrest that can result in death.
3. Neurological injuries
All electrical currents can affect the nerves in some way, so when there are repeated or very strong shocks, the structure of the nerves can be affected, resulting in neuropathy. Neuropathy can cause symptoms such as pain or numbness in the legs and arms, difficulty in moving the muscles or frequent dizziness, for example.
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