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Household electric shocks: who should be monitored?
Author(s) -
Fatovich Daniel M,
Lee K Y
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1991.tb142285.x
Subject(s) - asymptomatic , medicine , intensive care unit , shock (circulatory) , presentation (obstetrics) , intensive care , coronary care unit , cardiac monitoring , emergency medicine , electrocardiography , medical emergency , cardiology , intensive care medicine , surgery , myocardial infarction
Objective: To decide who should be monitored after exposure to household 240 volt 50 Hz alternating current electric shocks. Design and setting: Records of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of Royal Perth Hospital for the period 1978–1987 were retrospectively reviewed. A literature review was also performed to compare previous findings with our own (Medline search; keywords — electrical injury, arrhythmia). Results: There were 20 patients in the series, and all patients survived the electric shock. Of the 18 who presented with no cardiovascular symptoms or electrocardiographic abnormalities, none developed arrhythmias while being monitored in the Intensive Care Unit. Conclusion: Routine cardiac monitoring is not required after electric shock with household alternating current if the patient is asymptomatic and has a normal electrocardiogram on presentation.