Minor burns may be treated with topical antibiotic ointment and dressings. More severe burns may require surgery to clean the wounds or even skin grafting. Severe burns on the arms, legs, or hands may require surgery to remove damaged muscle or even amputation. Other injuries may require treatment. Eye injuries may require examination and treatment by an ophthalmologist, an eye specialist.
Broken bones require splinting, casting, or surgery to stabilize the bones.
Internal injuries may require observation or surgery. The percentage of the body surface area burned is the most important factor affecting prognosis. If someone who has received an electric shock does not suffer immediate cardiac arrest and does not have severe burns, he or she is likely to survive. Infection is the most common cause of death in people hospitalized following electrical injury. Electrical damage to the brain may result in a permanent seizure disorder, depression, anxiety, or other personality changes.