Electric Shock

An electric shock happens when an electrical current touches or passes through your body. The exact effects vary depending on several factors, especially the type of electricity and its source. Electrocution is when an electric shock causes a severe injury or death.

Electricity flows from place to place, and it’ll always follow the easiest path it can find. It flows more easily through conductive materials like copper, gold or aluminum.

Other details about the current matter, too. If you think about an electrical current like a river, the voltage is how fast the river moves. The amperage is the amount of water flowing through. High voltage is anything above 100 volts to 500 volts (depending on who you ask). Most homes in the U.S. use 120-volt circuits (except for appliances like clothes dryers and air conditioners, which use 240-volt circuits).

There are also different types of current. Direct current (DC) is what batteries use. Alternating current (AC) is what homes and businesses use for their internal wiring. AC is more dangerous, and when it shocks you, it makes your muscles flex uncontrollably. That’s why people being shocked often can’t let go.

Symptoms of electric shock

Common electric shock symptoms can include:

• Muscle spasms
• Numbness or tingling
• Pain

Other serious symptoms are possible when electric shocks are more severe. These serious symptoms include:

• Abdominal pain
• Broken bones (from the electricity itself or from shock-related spasms)
• Chest pain
• Dislocated joints (from the force of muscle spasms)
• Electrical burn symptoms, like redness or swelling
• Headaches
• Passing out
• Seizures
• Shortness of breath
• Vision or hearing difficulties
• Weak, irregular or no pulse

Electric shock causes

Electric shocks can happen anywhere you can find electricity. Some examples include:

• Damaged, exposed or worn electrical wiring
• Faulty electronics and appliances, or when working on them
• Electrical lines (like power lines or transmission lines)
• Getting water on household appliances, outlets or electrical switches
• Lightning strikes (not common)

There are a few main ways that electricity might reach and hurt you. The injury patterns they cause are:

• Flash or arc injuries: These happen when electricity arcs — or jumps — from point to point. Arcs usually travel along your skin surface. They don’t usually cause internal injuries.
• Flame injuries: When electricity can’t travel through something easily, some of the energy converts to heat. That can set things (like your clothes) on fire, causing burns.
• True electrical injuries: These happen when an electrical current flows through you, making you part of the circuit. The longer you’re part of the circuit, the worse these injuries are. Higher voltages and amperages can also make these injuries worse.

Dry skin doesn’t conduct electricity well, but wet skin does. That’s why electricity and water are so dangerous together. At higher voltages, electricity can also travel through your skin easier even when it’s dry. That’s why higher voltages are more dangerous.

While your skin doesn’t conduct electricity well, lots of things inside your body do. Your blood vessels, muscles and nerves (especially your spinal cord) are all good conductors. And organs that use electricity a lot, like your heart and brain, are both very vulnerable to electric shocks.

Complications of electric shock

Electric shock can cause many complications, and several of them are dangerous. Some of the possible complications include:

• Coma and/or memory loss
• Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances
• Infections (especially if the shock causes electrical burns)
• Internal injuries like dying tissue (necrosis) or compartment syndrome
• Irregular heart rhythms or cardiac arrest
• Mental health conditions like anxiety, depression or PTSD
• Muscle damage (rhabdomyolysis), which can lead to kidney damage or failure
• Respiratory arrest (where you can’t breathe on your own)
• Vision issues like cataracts (these are a long-term complication and can happen years later)

How doctors diagnose this condition

Healthcare providers diagnose electric shocks using multiple approaches and tools. They’ll start with a physical and neurological exam to look for the effects of an electrical injury. They’ll also ask about what happened. If you can’t tell them, they’ll ask someone who was with you or first responders.

There are several tests healthcare providers will likely use. These don’t diagnose an electrical injury. Instead, the tests look for signs of related injuries or complications. The tests they’ll likely use include:

• Electrocardiogram (EKG) to check your heart for damage or irregular rhythms
• Blood tests and urinalysis to check for damage to your heart, muscles or blood vessels
• Imaging scans like X-rays, CT scan or MRI to look for signs of internal injuries that could otherwise go undetected

How is an electric shock treated?

Treatment for electric shocks starts with first aid. If you’re with someone who’s being shocked and they can’t let go or pull away, you should do the following:

1. Don’t get shocked yourself: Don’t directly touch anything electrified, including the person being shocked. Turn off the power if you can. If you can’t, try to separate them from what’s shocking them. Break the connection with something nonconductive, like wood, plastic or cardboard.
2. Get help: Call 911 (or your local emergency services number) immediately.
3. Start first aid: Check their breathing and pulse. Start CPR if you don’t find either of those. If they have a pulse and are breathing, put them in the recovery position.
4. Protect them from further injury: Move them as little as possible. The only exception is if not moving them would put you or them in harm’s way. Examples include if you need to do CPR or if you need to move them away from something dangerous, like a downed power line.

Medical care for electric shocks

There’s no way to treat electric shock directly. Instead, treatments help the effects and symptoms of the shock. The treatments can include:

• Medicines: These include drugs for pain, seizures or irregular heart rhythms.
• IV fluids: These treat dehydration, electrolyte imbalances and other common effects of electric shock.
• Treatments for complications: These include surgery to stop compartment syndrome or dialysis for rhabdomyolysis.
• Life support: People who get shocked might not be able to breathe on their own. Putting them on a ventilator can help them breathe until they can do it on their own.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Anyone who receives an electric shock should get medical care, even when there aren’t any noticeable symptoms. The type of care needed depends on the type of shock and other details.

In general, the following apply:

• For all high-voltage electric shocks: Call 911 (or your local emergency services number) or go to your nearest hospital or emergency room immediately.
• For low-voltage electric shocks with burns: Go to the emergency room. Don’t try to treat the burn at home.
• For lightning-related electric shocks: These always need emergency care. Call 911 or your local emergency services number for anyone who is struck by lightning.
• For children with electrical injuries: Children with electrical injuries to their mouths or faces always need emergency care. Children without injuries should see a pediatrician within 48 hours.
• For low-voltage electric shocks without burns: See a healthcare provider within 48 hours. Treatments for internal electric shock injuries are most effective within that window of time.

What can I expect if I receive an electric shock?

Electric shocks can range from very mild to severe and fatal. The outlook depends on many factors, especially details like the source of electricity, how long the shock lasted, voltage and amperage, and your health history.

Because there are many factors at play, your healthcare provider is the best person to tell you what you can expect.

Are electric shocks preventable?

Yes, electric shocks are extremely preventable. Here are some things you can do:

• Never touch power lines, even if they don’t look like they’re live.
• Don’t use damaged or fraying electrical cords (or devices that have them).
• Stay away from downed power lines and don’t drive through water near one.
• Don’t use electrical devices, switches or outlets when you’re wet or standing in water.
• Protect children by keeping electrical cords out of reach (so they can’t be chewed) and covering electrical outlets.
• Turn off electricity at the circuit breaker before doing your own electrical work.
• Turn to professionals for jobs that are higher-risk or that could be above your skill level, like tree-trimming, appliance repairs or household electric work.
• Use tools and devices according to the instruction manual or safety guide.
• Use ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets in high-risk places like your kitchen and bathroom.

What is the difference between electrocution vs. an electric shock?

Not everyone uses these terms the same way.

• Electrocution always refers to death or serious injury from electricity. But some experts and organizations only use it when referring to deaths.
• Electric shocks always involve contact with electricity. But they don’t always cause harm.

Can an electric shock from a plug kill you?

Yes, but it doesn’t happen very often. In the U.S., electrical outlets are on 120-volt circuits (240-volt circuits for larger appliances like clothes dryers). That’s enough to cause serious injury or death under the right circumstances.

This is where GFCI outlets can make a huge difference in protecting you from outlet-related shocks. They automatically cut off electricity at much lower levels than a circuit breaker or fuse. That can save you from serious harm or worse.

Can an electric shock kill you later?

Yes, delayed effects are possible with electric shocks. The most likely causes are irregular heart rhythms or infections. If you get shocked and have burns or notice any unusual symptoms (even ones that seem unrelated), you should get medical attention.