Write to WhatsAppMay is traditionally a period of thunderstorm rains. And lightning strikes affecting people are, unfortunately, not uncommon. Mr. Vuada Mohamed Ali, MD, shared about what happens in the body as a result of a lightning strike and what consequences may occur.
What happens in the body when struck by lightning?
The human body is a complex electric device. The effect of electric current in the form of a lightning causes an overload of the nervous system, has a negative impact on the heart muscle. The fact is, the human heart is driven by weak electric pulses. A lightning strike may upset their own rhythms, causing a cardiac arrest or provoking life- threatening arrhythmia.
Typically, lightning strikes lead to clinical death – the heart stops and there is no breathing. When appropriate aid is rendered on time these important functions can be restored. Otherwise, there comes an irreversible, biological death.
Among other things, in the place where electrical discharge enters the body a so-called "lightning flower”– an arborescent (tree-like) pattern appears. Another common feature of lightning strikes is severe burns.
What close and distant consequences of the lightning strike can be expected?
Immediately after a lightning strike heart rhythm disturbances, burns, paralysis caused by the injury of the nervous system may occur. Eye lesions are frequent, the most common eye disease is the cataract that may develop both in the first days following the strike, and a few years after the electric injury.
Also, hearing problems can occur, that can be temporary or persist throughout life.
The nervous system injury may lead to consequences in the future, such as in the form of depression, memory impairment, decline in cognitive function: concentration, psychomotor coordination, speech. Memory loss frequently occurs, which can be either partial or full. Unfortunately, not every affected person manages to recover their memory.
What lightning strike treatment is needed after the injury?
In case of a lightning strike first medical aid to render first aid is essential, artificial respiration and indirect heart massage if needed.
Further treatment of such patients is conducted in the hospital. During the early posttraumatic period, the risk of heart rhythm disturbances remains, so the main objective of the initial treatment is the prevention of life-threatening arrhythmias.
The burns caused by an electric injury also require medical intervention, these burns are often quite severe.
Such patients will be provided a multimodality therapy: the status of this patient is monitored by cardiologist, neurologist, surgeon, resuscitator.
How long will such treatment require?
The duration of such treatment is rather difficult to predict, but the rehabilitation period will definitely exceede one week.
However it is worth noting that some lightning-struck lucky devils managed to get off with nothing more than a fright.
