Electrical injuries in a pediatric emergency department.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the spectrum of electrical injuries and develop guidelines for management.


METHODS
Retrospective review of charts compiled during a 6-year period (1988 through 1993).


METHODS
Pediatric emergency department.


METHODS
Seventy-eight patients seen for electrical injuries.


RESULTS
Fifty-four percent of patients were boys, and the mean age of the patients was 5.3 years. Eighty-two percent sustained burns. We divided patients into those who were involved in major electrical current events (n = 8) (water contact and high voltage) and minor electrical current events (n = 70) (injury sustained while placing an object in an outlet or touching/plugging in a cord or during oral contact with a cord). Of the minor events, all burns (n = 61) involved less than 1% of body surface area. Eighteen patients sustained second-degree burns, and 19 sustained third-degree burns. Of the eight major-event patients, one had abnormal ECG/rhythm strip findings, two had abnormal urinalysis results, and six had abnormal levels of creatine phosphokinase. All eight were admitted. Of the 70 minor-event patients, 2 of 53 had abnormal ECG/rhythm strip findings, 1 of 48 had abnormal urinalysis results, and 2 of 40 had abnormal creatine phosphokinase levels. Thirty-six of the 70 minor-event patients were admitted. Patients involved in major events were more likely to undergo studies (P = .002), to have an abnormal result (P = .000008), and to be hospitalized (P = .008). In minor-event patients, hospitalization was limited to observation and the fitting of oral appliances.


CONCLUSIONS
Children involved in electrical events are usually exposed to low-voltage household current resulting in minor injury. Asymptomatic children with minor electrical injuries do not require laboratory evaluation or hospitalization.
D000061:Accidents, Home; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003663:Decision Trees; D004556:Electric Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D009820:Ohio / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies