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February 10, 2012
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Lightning Strike (cont.)

Medical Author:
Timothy Price, MD
Coauthor:
Sandra Wendel
Medical Editor:
Scott H Plantz, MD, FAAEM
Medical Editor:
Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD
Medical Editor:
Richard Harrigan, MD

Lightning Strike Causes

Injury from a lightning strike may occur in any of these ways:

  • Direct strike: Lightning directly strikes a person.

  • Contact strike: A person is touching an object (such as a tree or pole) that has been struck by lightning.

  • Side splash: Lightning jumps from the primary strike object on its way to the ground.

  • Ground strike: Lightning strikes the ground and the current spreads out in a circle from that spot.

  • Blunt injury: A person is thrown violently from the lightning strike or from the explosive force that occurs as surrounding air is superheated and rapidly cooled.

  • Upward streamer: When a low-energy electrical charge streams upward to meet a downward leader, it may carry enough current to cause electrical injury even if it does not connect with the downward current to complete the lightning strike.

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Lightning Strike Symptoms»
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Lightning Injuries »

Over the last century, records for environmental injuries and mortality indicate that lightning has consistently been one of the top 3 environment-related causes of death and the second most common storm-related cause of death, exceeded only by flash floods.

Read More on Medscape Reference »

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