Epidemiology of high-tension electrical injuries in children.
Twenty-seven acute high-tension electrical injuries were seen in seven years at the Shriners Burns Institute. All were in boys 7 to 16 years old; 13 suffered amputation(s) and 2 died. Most accidents occurred when boys climbed utility poles (9), trespassed, generally around transformer substations (9), or contacted power lines when tree climbing (5). All occurred in daylight, generally between 4 and 6 PM, on weekends in warm weather with boys in groups. Preventive education directed to this high-risk population should illustrate properties of high-voltage electricity, effects on the body, and how to cope with peer pressures in unstructured time.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004556:Electric Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male