Auditory and neuropsychiatric behavior patterns after electrical injury.
Major electrical injury causes widespread tissue destruction. Slow and incomplete functional recovery after electrocution-type injury has led clinicians to suspect residual brain damage. One hundred and one consecutive patients who were admitted to the hospital because of electrical injury were studied. Forty-eight had electric-current injury. The other 53 had flash, contact, or arcing burns (electrical injury without passage of current). A primary study cohort of 16 patients with electric-current injury and 18 patients who had electrical injury without passage of current received specialized trauma-based psychiatric treatment, which was coordinated with serial auditory and neurologic studies. This strategy served to highlight discrepancies between preinjury and postinjury performance. Twelve of 16 patients with electric-current injury showed neurobehavioral (organic) dysfunction after 1 year, which implied brain damage; eight showed persistent auditory changes. Four of 18 patients who had electrical injury without passage of current met criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder after 1 year; none had neurobehavioral or auditory dysfunction. These findings indicate that patients with electric-current injury are at risk for permanent auditory dysfunction and brain damage, whereas those with other types of electrical burns are not.
Grossman
A R
AR
Burn Center of Southern California, Sherman Oaks Hospital, Los Angeles.
Tempereau
C E
CE
Brones
M F
MF
Kulber
H S
HS
Pembrook
L J
LJ
D000328:Adult; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002058:Burns, Electric / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*