Abstract
A successfully treated case of severe electrical injury is reported. A 38-year-old man was brought to our hospital with cardiac arrest caused by electrical shock. He was intubated, and manual ventilation and cardiac massage were performed. After an injection of 20mg epinephrine, electrocardiogram showed ventricular fibrillation. His vital signs recovered after countershock with 300 J. A 12-lead electrocardiogram showed ST-segment elevation and abnormal Q waves in leads I, aVL and V3 to V6. Two-dimensional echocardiogram showed left ventricular anterolateral, septal, and apical akinesis. The abnormality of left ventricular wall motion was not improved even one month later. Gastrointestinal endoscopy showed gastric, duodenal and colic mucosal hemorrhagic lesions. Because the colic lesion was intractable, right hemicolectomy was performed at 31 days after admission. Pulmonary edema and acute renal failure developed, but these were improved by intensive care. When he was discharged from our center, his level of consciousness had improved to Japan coma scale 3. He returned to work ten months later. Early diagnosis and treatment of organic lesions are extremely important for management of major electrical injury.
