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Electrical Injuries

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Burn Care for General Surgeons and General Practitioners

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Abstract

Electrical injuries are a unique type of burn that requires more burn expertise than the usual thermal burn. These burns can be divided into low, high, and ultra-high injuries which have unique characteristics. Electrical injuries can lead to “flash” burns, which act like thermal burns. They may also arc across joints. The true electrical injury, however, results from energy coursing through the extremities. These injuries are usually more extensive than can be seen from the outside. The true electrical burn should always be evaluated for the need of fasciotomy and will often require extensive debridement of deep muscle. These special burns should all be referred to a burn center.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. David & Nancy Auth - Washington Research Foundation Chair in Restorative Burn Surgery, Box 359796, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA

    Nicole Gibran M.D., F.A.C.S.

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  1. Nicole Gibran M.D., F.A.C.S.
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Correspondence to Nicole Gibran M.D., F.A.C.S. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Univ. of California, Davis Med. Center, Shriners Hosp for Children N California, Sacramento, California, USA

    David G. Greenhalgh

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Gibran, N. (2016). Electrical Injuries. In: Greenhalgh, D. (eds) Burn Care for General Surgeons and General Practitioners . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29161-1_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29161-1_15

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-29159-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-29161-1

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