title: [Immediate and delayed outcomes after electrical injury. A guide for clinicians].
abstract: Immediate and delayed outcomes after electrical injury. A guide for clinicians In Sweden about 300 electrical injuries are recorded each year at the Swedish National Electrical Safety Board. Most of our knowledge of the health consequences of these arise from clinical case series. Severe electrical injuries have direct thermal effects and may result in ventricular fibrillation, skin burns, as well as muscular and nerve affection. Long-term consequences include pain, vascular symptoms, cognitive and neurological symptoms and signs. These sequelae may occur even though the initial symptoms were relatively modest. Mechanisms are better understood for the immediate symptoms, compared to long-term and delayed non-thermal medical consequences. Attention to and treatment of patients with electrical injury needs to be improved to minimize long-term consequences. Good medical care in the acute phase and early multidisciplinary follow-up of severe cases will likely reduce associated morbidity. Each electrical injury should result in an inquiry to identify the cause of the accident in order to suggest actions to prevent new incidents.
authors.affiliation: Arbets- och miljömedicin - Akademiska sjukhuset Uppsala, Sweden Uppsala universitet Institutionen for medicinska vetenskaper - Arbets- och miljömedicin Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tondel
authors.affiliation: Medicinkliniken - Hallands sjukhus Halmstad, Sweden Medicinkliniken - Hallands sjukhus Halmstad, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blomqvist
authors.affiliation: Arbets- och miljömedicin - Sahlgrenska universitetssjukhuset Göteborg, Sweden Arbets- och miljömedicin - Sahlgrenska universitetssjukhuset Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jakobsson
authors.affiliation: Arbets- och miljömedicin - Länssjukhuset Sundsvall-Härnösand Sundsvall, Sweden Arbets- och miljömedicin - Länssjukhuset Sundsvall-Härnösand Sundsvall, Sweden.
authors.forename: Tohr
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.affiliation: Arbets- och miljömedicin Syd - Lund, Sweden Arbets- och miljömedicin Syd - Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bodil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.affiliation: Arbets- och miljömedicin - Sahlgrenska universitetssjukhuset Göteborg, Sweden Arbets- och miljömedicin - Sahlgrenska universitetssjukhuset Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thomée
authors.affiliation: Arbets- och miljömediciin - Universitetssjukhuset Örebro, Sweden Arbets- och miljömediciin - Universitetssjukhuset Örebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lars-Gunnar
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Gunnarsson
mesh_terms: D000359:Aftercare; D004556:Electric Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors