An assessment of the epidemiological features of patients with electrical injuries in the emergency department: a 10-year retrospective study

Article title: An assessment of the epidemiological features of patients with electrical injuries in the emergency department: a 10-year retrospective study Abstract Objective: Evaluating electrical injuries is challenging due to various complications. Current guidelines emphasize monitoring of cardiac risk factors, but the indications for this are quite specific. This study evaluated the epidemiological and risk factors of electrical injuries in patients admitted to the Emergency Department. Methods: Medical records from the Pamukkale University Hospital (2014-2024) were reviewed. The data collected included ECG abnormalities, accident specifics (time, voltage, current type, contact point/location), transthoracic flow, current source, work accident status, mortality, and diagnosis. The primary outcomes were epidemiological data, arrhythmias, and elevated laboratory results. Results: 112 patients were identified, 91 were male (81%), with a mean age of 31.8 years. Work-related injuries accounted for 16 (14.3%) cases and 17 (15.2%) had chest pain. High voltage injuries (&gt;1000 V) were 10/112, and low voltages (&lt;1000 V) were 80/112 (60.6%). One patient died of head trauma after electrical shock. Elevated troponin was found in 57 patients (50.9%), CK-MB in 25 (22.3%), and potassium in 6 (5.3%). ECG abnormalities were observed in 16 patients (14.3%). Conclusion: Troponin and creatinine levels were significantly elevated in the low-voltage group. This research questions the assumption that conscious patients showing normal ECGs after a low-voltage injury can be safely discharged after a quick clinical evaluation. Keywords: Electrical injury, low-voltage injuries, high-voltage injuries, epidemiology标题：急诊科患者电击伤流行病学特征的评估：一项为期10年的回顾性研究 摘要 研究目的：由于电击伤的并发症众多，对其评估存在一定挑战。现有指南强调对心血管风险因素的监测，但其适用指征相当具体。本研究旨在评估急诊科收治的患者电击伤的流行病学特征及风险因素。 方法：回顾了帕穆卡莱大学医院（2014-2024年）的病历记录。收集的数据包括心电图异常、事故细节（时间、电压、电流类型、接触点/位置）、跨胸血流、电流来源、工作事故状态、死亡率及诊断。主要结局指标包括流行病学数据、心律失常和升高的实验室检测结果。 结果：共识别出112名患者，其中男性91名（占81%），平均年龄为31.8岁。与工作相关的伤害占16例（14.3%），17例（15.2%）出现胸痛。高压伤害（>1000 V）有10例/112例，低压伤害（<1000 V）有80例/112例（占60.6%）。1名患者在电击后因头部创伤死亡。57名患者（占50.9%）发现肌钙蛋白升高，25名（占22.3%）CK-MB升高，6名（占5.3%）钾升高。16名患者（占14.3%）出现心电图异常。 结论：在低压伤害组中，肌钙蛋白和肌酐水平显著升高。本研究对低电压伤害后意识清醒且心电图正常的患者在快速临床评估后可安全出院的假设提出了质疑。 关键词：电击伤，低压伤害，高压伤害，流行病学