Lightning Strike in Pregnancy With Fetal Injury.
Injuries from lightning strikes are an infrequent occurrence, and are only rarely noted to involve pregnant victims. Only 13 cases of lightning strike in pregnancy have been previously described in the medical literature, along with 7 additional cases discovered within news media reports. This case report presents a novel case of lightning-associated injury in a patient in the third trimester of pregnancy, resulting in fetal ischemic brain injury and long-term morbidity, and reviews the mechanics of lightning strikes along with common injury patterns of which emergency providers should be aware.
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, NV.
Kellen
K
Galster
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, NV. Electronic address: lasvegas.em@gmail.com.
Ryan
R
Hodnick
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, NV.
Ross P
RP
Berkeley
D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D005316:Fetal Distress / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008030:Lightning; D015168:Lightning Injuries; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult
electrical injury; fetal injury; lightning injury; lightning strike; pregnancy; third-trimester injury