Electric Shock Symptoms

A person who has suffered an electric shock may have very little external evidence of injury or may have obvious severe burns. The person could even be in cardiac arrest.

• Burns are usually most severe at the points of contact with the electrical source and the ground. The hands, heels, and head are common points of contact.
  
  
• In addition to burns, other injuries are possible if the person has been thrown clear of the electrical source by forceful muscular contraction. Consideration should be given to the possibility of a spine injury. The person may have internal injuries especially if he or she is experiencing any shortness of breath, chest pain, or abdominal pain.
  
  
• Pain in a hand or foot or a deformity of a part of the body may indicate a possible broken bone resulting from the electric shock.
  
  
• In children, the typical electrical mouth burn from biting an electric cord appears as a burn on the lip. The area has a red or dark, charred appearance.