What Should Families Know First?
Do not touch a child or electrical source while current may still be flowing. Turn off power only if it is safe and call 911 for unconsciousness, abnormal breathing, seizures or another serious emergency. After the scene is safe, follow dispatcher guidance about CPR and seek medical advice about the exposure, including apparently minor shocks. Electrical injury can be more serious than it looks.
How common is child electrocution?
Victim age appears to be a factor. A U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) report showed there were three times as many electrocutions to victims 40 through 59 years old than to victims 19 years of age and younger, even though the U.S. population in these age groups is about equal. A study in the Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health found that most child deaths (aged between 10 months and 15 years) attributed to electrocution were due to accidents while playing with or near faulty electrical equipment or wires at home (69 percent of deaths occur in the home) or at school. Other incidents involved electrical equipment in the bath, damaged outdoor electrical equipment and overhead wires. Researchers concluded that deaths result from either faulty apparatus or a lack of understanding of the potential dangers. Electric shocks cause death in 3 to 15 percent of cases.
What is the difference between electrocution and electric shock?
Electric shock is not the same as electrocution. An electrocution happens when the electric current is so strong that it causes severe internal burns and cardiac arrest. A shock will be painful and cause a person to drop the electric item immediately, and it can also cause damage to nerves, muscles and internal organs, according to the American Burn Association. Electricity always follows a path to ground. When that path is through the body, tissues and muscle can burn, and electrocution can cause much greater damage than is visible. It may also ignite clothing, causing external skin burns. The severity depends on the amount of current (amperage), the type of current (direct or alternating), the body’s resistance to the current, the current’s path through the body and how long the body stays in contact with it.
Are minor electric shocks dangerous for a child?
A minor-looking electric shock can still require medical assessment, particularly when a child cannot explain what happened. Mouth burns, a loss of consciousness, abnormal breathing, persistent symptoms or a visible burn need prompt attention. Do not judge the internal injury from a small mark alone. Ask a clinician about the particular exposure rather than assume a brief household shock was harmless.
What are the signs of electric shock in toddlers and babies?
Infants and toddlers cannot explain their symptoms, so parents should know what to look for. Watch for severe burns on the hands, heels or head, burns to the mouth that are red in appearance, shortness of breath, chest pain and abdominal pain. Other signs in very young children include crying that cannot be soothed, drooling, refusing to eat, unusual sleepiness, confusion, muscle weakness, a racing or irregular heartbeat and blistering or charred skin at the point of contact. The most common electrical shock related injuries are burns, and electrical burns are very serious and should receive immediate medical attention, ideally from a local burn center. Burns are typically red or dark and charred in appearance. Other injuries can happen if forceful muscular contractions throw the child from the electrical source.
What should you do if your child is shocked by an outlet or cord?
Do not touch the child or electrical source while current may still be flowing. Turn off the power only if you can do so safely, and call 911. Stay away from high-voltage sources and downed power lines. Follow the dispatcher’s instructions rather than improvise a rescue through a live electrical hazard. Once the scene is safe, the dispatcher can guide appropriate first aid or CPR. Seek prompt medical assessment even if the visible injury seems small. See MedlinePlus electrical-injury guidance.
What is electric shock drowning in a swimming pool?
Far too many children have died when an electrical current, most often from a short circuit in the electrical wiring of a dock, boat or pump, spreads through the water. Lights and wires from pool equipment, amusement rides or docks can cause electrocution or electrical shock drowning. Small appliances are a special hazard around bathtubs and pools. If you or your child feels a tingle, get out of the water immediately. Anyone who pulls a person from the water should have trained help, because a rescuer in the water can be shocked too. A child pulled from water needs CPR, and an automated external defibrillator (AED), if one is nearby, can restart a heart that has gone into cardiac arrest. See our pages on swimming pool accidents and drowning accidents.
How are electric shock injuries treated?
Treatment at the clinic or hospital depends on the severity of the burns and the nature of other injuries. Minor burns are usually treated with topical antibiotic ointment and dressings. More severe burns may require surgery, such as a skin graft, and severe burns on the arms, legs or hands may require surgery to remove damaged muscle or even amputation. Electric shock can also leave lasting effects such as nerve pain, memory or concentration problems and anxiety around electrical items, so ask your doctor about follow up care. Our pages on burn injuries and child brain injury explain related harm.
What if a child died from an electric shock?
Neglect leading to electrocution or lethal electric shock can cause a wrongful death. The families of children who have died may be eligible to receive compensation, although no amount of money can help the pain that comes with losing a loved one. Read more about child wrongful death.
Can an Electric Shock Cause Burns and Lasting Scarring?
An electrical incident can involve burns as well as other injury. The visible mark alone may not show the extent of harm, so a child should receive appropriate medical assessment. Shriners Children’s describes specialist electrical-burn care.
Where a claim is supported, medical records and qualified opinions can help explain treatment, scarring and future needs. Preserve relevant product and incident information safely; do not attempt to test an electrical item to reproduce the event.
How Can You Discuss an Electrical Injury With a Lawyer?
Child injury attorney Jeff Killino is experienced with child electrocution and electric shock injuries. If your child has been hurt or killed in a preventable accident caused by negligence or a defective product, contact us today.
