Electric shock in pregnancy.
Emergency physicians need to be alert to the potential effects of electric shock in pregnancy. A review of all case reports in the English language literature of pregnant women exposed to electric shock was performed. Information on voltage, gestation, injury-to-delivery interval, and outcome was collected. There were 15 victims of electric shock in pregnancy. Fetal mortality (N = 11) was 73% and there was only one normal pregnancy following electric shock. The fetus is much less resistant to electric shock than the mother. Any woman who suffers from an electric shock in pregnancy, however minor, requires prompt fetal monitoring and careful obstetric supervision.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australia.
D M
DM
Fatovich
D004556:Electric Injuries; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D005323:Fetal Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D049188:Prenatal Injuries