Assessment and Management of Electrical Injuries in Adults in the Emergency Department

Electrical burns can cause a variety of clinical sequelae, including cardiac, renal, muscular, neurological, and ocular complications that require immediate monitoring and/or intervention by emergency medicine physicians to prevent further organ damage. These injuries can occur through a variety of mechanisms, including household electrical outlets, occupational exposures, and lightning strikes. The intensity of the electrical insult plays a major role in determining the severity of the resulting medical complications. Electrical injuries can lead to a wide range of subsequent complications involving almost every organ system in the body. Cardiac and respiratory complications are of utmost concern because they pose an immediate threat to a patient’s life, while other complications may include thermal burns, compartment syndrome, kidney dysfunction, seizures, and neuropathy, among other conditions. Early intervention in the ED is critical for reducing mortality and improving overall outcomes in these patients. This paper serves as a comprehensive review of the most up-to-date practices in the management of electrical burn injuries in the ED by addressing each major organ system and recommending current best practices.