【Medical Q&A】What should I do if someone gets an electric shock?

Author: Yang Xiaoqiang, Hu Bingjie, Zhou Yi, Xi'an Medical College

Reviewer: Xiao Xinli, Associate Professor, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University

If someone around you gets electrocuted, you can follow the "two-step approach" to provide treatment. The details are as follows.

Step 1: Cut off the power supply

When someone is electrocuted, if there is a power switch nearby, it should be turned off immediately to disconnect the person from the power source; if the power switch is far away, the power cord should be unplugged immediately with a non-conductive dry wooden stick or dry bamboo pole.

Step 2: Rapid treatment

After being electrocuted, people may experience nervousness, pale face, dull expression, rapid breathing and heartbeat in mild cases, and convulsion, coma, cardiac arrest and respiratory arrest in severe cases. Rescuers need to call the person who has been electrocuted, assess his consciousness, and check for wounds. If there are any, they can be treated as soon as possible according to the situation. Take different measures according to consciousness, breathing and pulse.

1. When the person who has been electrocuted is conscious and his breathing and pulse are normal: let him lie down and rest on the spot, and closely observe his consciousness, breathing, pulse, etc.

2. When the person who has been electrocuted is not conscious but has normal breathing and pulse: turn him/her to the side-lying position. Taking the right side-lying position as an example, the rescuer puts his/her hands on the left shoulder and left knee of the person who has been electrocuted, turns the person to the right side-lying position, puts his/her right arm on the side of his/her head, puts his/her left hand on his/her right shoulder, and bends his/her left leg. After turning the person over, pay attention to observe the person's consciousness, breathing, pulse, etc. If the person who has been electrocuted has oral secretions, it should be handled in time to prevent suffocation.

3. When the person who is electrocuted is unconscious and his breathing and pulse have stopped: perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation immediately and call the emergency number until medical staff arrive.

It should be noted that the risk of electric shock is very high and prevention should be the main focus, including: ① Regularly inspect and maintain electrical appliances and lines; ② Avoid touching appliance casings, wires, plugs, etc. with wet hands or cloth; ③ During thunderstorms, do not stand in high places outdoors, walk in fields, or take shelter under trees, and do not touch wires, water pipes, or metal devices.