Inventors such as Edison and Westinghouse realized that electric energy could be generated in one location and used to perform work elsewhere. A s applications of electric power increased, it became clear that electric forces can cause lethal tissue injury. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the last decade, electrical injury has been responsible for an average of 320 deaths and over 4,000 injuries involving days away from work annually in the United States. Electrical injuries are very costly, not only for the victims and their families but for the employers and the society in general. Typical surface appearance of electrical shock victim demonstrating thermal damage to skin at contact points on arm and chest wall.
M ajor high-voltage electrical trauma can produce one of the most devastating of physical injuries.
Repeated debridements, amputations, and extensive rehabilitation are common. Additional debridements may be repeated over several days. The condition of devitalized muscle can be further complicated by acute infection. In general, most victims who survive high-voltage electrical shock are left permanently disabled. M echanisms of Injury T o understand the effect of electric forces on biological systems, it is helpful to think in terms of bioelectric circuits.