AED and Shock Question

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franklinmanklin said:
Can someone die hours after receiving a shock without fibrillating at the time of shock?
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I have heard they can. I do know of a lineman that was shocked with 7200 in a bucket and was talking for a time after he got to the ground but was dead within an hour.

Roger
 
I have heard of deaths after the shock also. Some people may have other internal organ damage and die from complications resulting from that. Could be hours or days after the incident. You want to get checked out whenever something happens as soon as possible.
 
My electrician (in my other life) got a shock from a 3.3 kV line conduit. He suffered a stroke later while he was at home and claimed the shock incident was the cause. Gave the case to our company lawyers/doctors as I am in no position to give judgment on it. Perhaps incidents like shocks can trigger those medical problems but pre-conditions should have been known to you or your bosses and allowed you to transfer the personnel to other non-electrical jobs and avoid complications. My two cents.
 
topgone said:
My electrician (in my other life) got a shock from a 3.3 kV line conduit. He suffered a stroke later while he was at home and claimed the shock incident was the cause. Gave the case to our company lawyers/doctors as I am in no position to give judgment on it. Perhaps incidents like shocks can trigger those medical problems but pre-conditions should have been known to you or your bosses and allowed you to transfer the personnel to other non-electrical jobs and avoid complications. My two cents.
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Pre existing conditions or not you are supposed to use safe working practices. Even then accidents can still happen, and you do not even have to be an electrical worker to get shocked.
 
SG-1 said:
I remember reading, maybe here, that your body will release adrenalin in responce to being shocked. When it wears off you can die if there was enough damage.
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Yep, in fact that is what a paramedic will do if you are in fibrilation, inject adrenalin into your heart. Also one of my favorite scenes from Pulp Fiction.
 
zog said:
Yep, in fact that is what a paramedic will do if you are in fibrilation, inject adrenalin into your heart. Also one of my favorite scenes from Pulp Fiction.
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I know it may seem rediclious to even mention, but intracardiac injection isn't practiced in the ems field, or just about anywhere else. Epinephrine is part of the treatment guidelines for VF treatment.

Regarding the OP, an electrical shock can disturb the electrical rhythm by damaging the heart. It could take hours for it to deteriorate to a fatal conditon. An electrical shock can actually cook, or burn you internally as well as externally.
 
zog said:
Not injected?
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It is delivered via an IV, not directly into the heart or breast plate as they purport in the movie. You also wouldn't come flying off the floor either, but it makes great cinema.


Epinephrine for VF is typically intravenously administered, typically through a vien in the arm. A direct injection may cause significant harm unless placed correctly (its used only in hospitals, normally by a surgeon, or specialty dr). Basically it tightens up the circulatory system, allowing blood to perfuse quicker, this is an oversimplification of how it works, there are other pharmacodynamics in play as well.

Oxygen is administered concurrently with the epinephrine, and the goal is to get the oxygen enriched blood to the heart to keep it alive. 4-10 minutes without fresh blood and there is very little chance of recovery.

Of course, defibrillation comes before all this. Then, they have epi given to keep the blood pressure up to allow for adequate perfusion assuming circulation has returned (again, oversimplification). If they go from VF to asytole, flatline, the epi is still useful in constricting the blood vessels, this is why good CPR is key. You gotta keep the blood circulating to the heart. Current CPR instructions are 'push hard, push fast', and its no longer ABC its CAB. Keeping the blood moving increases survivability!
 
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