![]() ![]() No treatment is required because these lesions are not burns however, physicians should be aware of the possibility of concomitant thermal burns that may require intervention. 1 Lesions are asymptomatic and appear within an hour of exposure on moist skin (which can conduct electrical current), and last up to 48 hours. The pathophysiology of Lichtenberg figures is unknown but may involve damage and leakage from cutaneous blood vessels owing to transmission of electrical current through the skin. 1 Other clues suggestive of lightning injury include arrhythmias and rhabdomyolysis. These figures were first described by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg in 1777 and are a useful diagnostic tool for injury caused by lightning because patients frequently present unconscious or unable to recall a history of lightning strike. Lichtenberg figures are nonburn skin injuries that are pathognomonic for lightning exposure. Use common sense.(A, B) Left flanks of 2 young adults showing Lichtenberg figures after contact with electricity from a lightning strike. “We’re a country that lives on the couch, and when the weather turns bad we decide to go outside. “If you’re in an area with frequent lightning storms, don’t be the tallest thing out there stay inside,” Dr. These cases include contact injuries (lightning strikes a metal object a person is touching), side flash (lightning bounces off an object), ground current (the strike hits nearby and current moves underground), streamer (bursts of energy that travel upwards from objects) or blast injuries (injuries caused by thunder).įortunately, lightning strikes can be relatively easy to avoid. Injuries such as blunt trauma, neurological syndromes, muscle injuries, eye injuries, skin lesions and burns can be common from lightning strikes that don’t hit directly. (MORE: Beware of Killer Cold! How Freezing Temps Affect Your Body) Most victims are also left with lifelong medical issues that can be debilitating, including chronic pain and neurological problems such as issues with memory and cognition, John Jensenius, NOAA’s national lightning expert, told earlier this month. Lightning's extremely high temperature causes burning and scarring, which marks the victim with a lightning-like scar known as a Lichtenberg figure. Lightning actually hit tenfold that number - only about 10 percent of strike victims die, according to CDC data. In a record low year, 2013 saw 23 lightning strike deaths, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The majority of deaths, 13 of the 23, occurred during outdoor recreational activities, with fishing accounting for the most fatalities. What ends up happening are issues with neurologic activity and cardiac issues. “ usually travels down the nervous system - through the tissue. “When we’re shocking someone whose heart is not functioning, we’re doing the same thing, but at a smaller level,” said Dr. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, most lightning deaths are because of heart attack, according to the U.S. (MORE: Lightning Strikes at Iconic Places)Īdditionally, lightning strikes can cause cardiac arrest, according to an article published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation. travels through the body and causes an entrance and exit wound, like a gunshot.” The scars are not permanent, as they are simply burst blood vessels that are trying to heal themselves. As it also passes through the skin, it may boil the sweat and inflict burns, and it may also cause the famous Lichtenberg figures red fern shapes that creep across the skin. It’s an electrical burn in its simplest form,” Joseph Zito, M.D., associate director of intensive and critical care at Franklin Hospital in Long Island, N.Y., told . Lightning Scars: Lichtenburg Figures During direct strikes, the current travels through either the cardiovascular or nervous systems, or both. “ does a lot of damage to the tissues and causes burning. ![]() The human body isn't meant to withstand 30,000 amps of charge and 50,000-degree Fahrenheit temps. Unfortunately, the answer doesn’t involve super powers. Lightning’s raw power sparks the imagination, leaving many to wonder: “What would actually happen if I were struck by lightning?” (Kevin Ambrose) Gift Do you remember those horrible driver’s education videos from high school that would depict the aftermath of car accidents with lots of blood, mangled cars, and bad actors. The Flash gained super speed after a strike bathed him in chemicals. ![]() Frankenstein used lightning to bring his monster to life. ![]()
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