Acute electrical burns: a 10-year clinical experience

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Burn Management
• Electrical Injury Research

Background:

• Electrical burns represent a significant, yet often preventable, cause of burn admissions.
• Low-voltage household injuries are common in children, while high-voltage injuries affect young adults, frequently in non-work settings.
• Despite the severity, electrical burn patients in this series demonstrated no acute renal failure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the incidence, causes, and outcomes of electrical burns over a decade.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of current management strategies for electrical burn injuries.
• To identify key factors contributing to patient survival and morbidity.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 113 electrical burn cases admitted to a major burn center over 10 years.
• Analysis of patient demographics, injury mechanisms (low-voltage vs. high-voltage), and treatment protocols.
• Evaluation of surgical interventions, including debridement, allografting, fasciotomy, and amputation, and their impact on outcomes.

Main Results:

• Electrical burns accounted for 3.5% of acute burn admissions.
• Low-voltage burns (73%) were primarily pediatric and household-related; high-voltage burns (27%) were often non-work-related in young adults.
• Early surgical debridement, allografting, and wound closure/amputation prevented sepsis; early fasciotomy had minimal impact on limb salvage.
• All 113 patients survived due to specialized burn unit care, aggressive resuscitation, and timely surgical intervention.

Conclusions:

• Prompt transfer to a specialized burn unit is crucial for managing severe electrical injuries.
• Aggressive fluid resuscitation, hemodynamic support, and early surgical intervention are key to preventing mortality.
• While limb loss remains a significant morbidity factor, comprehensive care significantly improves survival rates in electrical burn patients.