A Case of Multiple Muscle Injuries Caused by High-voltage Electrical Injury and Healing by Image Evaluation and Step-by-step Treatment

Abstract

 A 34-year-old man accidentally came into contact with a high-voltage copper wire while working at a power substation. He was shocked by 30,000 volts of current. He had third-degree burns on his back and both thighs. Third-degree burns accounted for 3% on the back, 1% on the right thigh, and 1.5% on the left thigh. From the day after the injury, we routinely gradually removed necrotic tissue, including that from muscles of the back and both thighs, at his bedside. On day 21 post-injury, as no expansion of the injured area was detected on contrast-enhanced computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, tangential excision of necrosis and the application of artificial dermis on the third-degree burns were performed in the affected areas. We applied negative pressure wound therapy from day 33 to 52 and a split thickness skin graft on day 52. On day 73, the wounds had closed, and the patient was discharged. Electric current burns differ from normal ones in that they flow through the body, so it is important to wait a sufficient period to assess the extent of tissue damage using diagnostic imaging before closing the wound.