Essentials of low-power electrocution: Established and speculated mechanisms

Kroll, Mark W.; Fish, Raymond M.; Lakkireddy, Dhanunjaya; Luceri, Richard M.; Panescu, Dorin

doi:10.1109/embc.2012.6347297

Cited by 13 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…Ventricular fibrillation is the signature rhythm for low‐power electrocution. At a given frequency, there are three established mechanisms for electrical current to induce this type of dysrhythmia described in the literature 21. These mechanisms can be differentiated by the amount of current needed as well as by the time span a certain current must be applied in order to induce ventricular fibrillation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suspected electrically induced ventricular fibrillation during thoracoscopic partial pericardectomy in two dogs

Studer¹,

Revés²,

Rytz³

et al. 2019

Vet Record Case Reports

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Partial removal of the pericardium is the recommended treatment for dogs suffering from recurrent pericardial effusion. An electrosurgical unit is often used for tissue dissection in the thorax, especially with a minimally invasive surgical approach. This report describes the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation in two dogs while using an electrosurgical unit inside the thoracic cavity. Several characteristics implicate an electrically induced arrhythmia. While one dog could be resuscitated successfully, there was a fatal outcome in the other. This report highlights that a thorough understanding of the electrosurgical unit is important, in order to use it safely.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suspected electrically induced ventricular fibrillation during thoracoscopic partial pericardectomy in two dogs

Studer¹,

Revés²,

Rytz³

et al. 2019

Vet Record Case Reports

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“…Shock-induced VT, per se, is so extremely rare that it really did not need to be mentioned. 7 (There is only a single credible case report of shock-induced VT. 8 ) As mentioned above, DC, at "low" voltages, will induce VF if it induces any arrhythmia at all. Both asystole and VF are found in nonlightning AC high-voltage injury.…”

Section: Direct-current Dogma Dies Hardmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship Between Earlobe Creases and the Presence, Extent, and Severity of Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis

Ravi¹,

Sivakumar²,

Patra³

2021

Am J Forensic Med Pathol

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W e read with great interest and enthusiasm the regional population-based autopsy study "The relationship between earlobe creases and the presence, extent, and severity of coronary artery atherosclerosis" by French et al 1 published in the January issue of this esteemed journal. We commend the authors for publishing this essential work with a meticulous description in a logical manner. However, as a supplement, we would like to add a few suggestions and relevant insights that may be of potential interest to your readers.The association between earlobe crease(s) and coronary artery atherosclerosis has been under debate for ages. 2,3 It is a well-known observation that most of the studies fail to control for the important confounders (which by definition influence both the independent variable of interest, ie, the ear lobe crease, and the outcome variable, ie, coronary artery atherosclerosis in this case) such as age, sex, race, and body mass index (BMI). 1 Consequently, the authors aimed to assess if there is a true association between the ear lobe crease and coronary artery atherosclerosis, in a postmortem setting, using a retrospective subgroup analysis among male, female, European, non-European, and all BMI categories. By demonstrating a statistically significant association across all subgroups, the authors have concluded that there is an association between the ear lobe crease and coronary artery atherosclerosis. Furthermore, we would suggest that in addition to the subgroup analysis that the authors aptly implemented, performing a multivariate logistic regression model, 4 by assessing the association between coronary artery atherosclerosis (as an outcome variable) and the ear lobe crease (independent predictor variable of interest), in combination with the confounders such as age, sex, ethnicity, and BMI, can further offer important facts. A statistically significant "beta coefficient or slope" of "ear lobe crease" in such a model would and scrupulous data analysis on the biomedical research.

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“…98 Established mechanisms causing death in low-voltage electrical accidents include disturbances of cardiac T-wave, direct introduction of fibrillation by multiple high-frequency pulses, and long-term high-rate electrical cardiac capture causing sufficient ischemia to lower the ventricular fibrillation threshold. 49 High-rate electrical cardiac capture overrides the physiological regulation of the heartbeat and leads to reduced cardiac output in a situation when the myocardium has an increased demand for oxygenated blood due to its frequent beating. For example, prolonged cardiac capture at rates of >220 heartbeats per minute may lead to ventricular fibrillation in pigs.…”

Section: Electrical Injuries-general Aspectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, prolonged cardiac capture at rates of >220 heartbeats per minute may lead to ventricular fibrillation in pigs. 49 A mechanism leading to cell membrane injury is electroporation, which causes disturbances of cellular functions even when the current flow is too low or too short to induce thermal injury. 88,89 The principal lesions in a larger current flow are electrothermal injuries to skin and internal organs by Joule heating, 10,69 and the effects of electroporation are easily overridden by heat in the case of typical electrical accidents involving household, machinery, or overhead power lines.…”

Section: Electrical Injuries-general Aspectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrical Injuries in Animals

Schulze¹,

Peters

Baumgärtner³

et al. 2016

Vet Pathol

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Electrical injuries in animals occur most often accidentally. They comprise contact to various forms of currents, including alternating, rotary, or direct currents. Depending on various parameters of the current (including the type of circuit, voltage, current and duration of exposure) and conditions of the animal (such as wet or dry hair coat and pathway of current through the body), lesions may be absent or may include early or localized development of rigor mortis, signs of acute circulatory failure, or severe thermoelectrical burns. Such burns may present as external current marks, singed hair or feathers, metallization of the skin, or occasionally internal electroporation injury resulting in muscle necrosis, hemolysis, vascular damage with thrombosis, injury to brain and spinal cord, or skeletal fractures. Furthermore, lightning strikes occur regularly in grazing animals, which have greater risk of death from step potentials (ground current) in addition to direct strike and contact injury. Such cases may have no lesions, external signs of linear or punctate burns, keraunographic markings, or exit burns on the soles of the hooves or the coronary bands. Besides detailed information about the circumstances at the location where the animal was found, electrical injuries in animals require a thorough morphological workup, including additional investigations in conjunction with certain knowledge about the possible lesion spectrum.

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Essentials of low-power electrocution: Established and speculated mechanisms

Cited by 13 publications

References 76 publications

Suspected electrically induced ventricular fibrillation during thoracoscopic partial pericardectomy in two dogs

Suspected electrically induced ventricular fibrillation during thoracoscopic partial pericardectomy in two dogs

The Relationship Between Earlobe Creases and the Presence, Extent, and Severity of Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis

Electrical Injuries in Animals

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