Electrical Injuries: Shock, Burns, and Tissue Damage
Published on September 11, 2026 by Staff Writer
A direct electrical injury occurs when electric current passes through the body during an electric shock, damaging tissues or disrupting normal body functions. Even a small skin burn can hide serious internal damage.
How Electric Current Flows Through the Body
Understanding how electric current flows through the body can help you recognize injuries that aren't visible on the skin.
- Electric current can enter the body at a contact point, sometimes causing a visible burn.
- Current traveling through tissues can generate heat and cause burns along its path.
- High-voltage exposure can kill tissue deep inside the body, even when surface burns look minor.
- With direct current, burns can also form where current leaves the body. Their size and severity vary.
- Strong muscle contractions caused by current can break bones or force joints out of place.
- Current passing through the chest can disrupt the heart's rhythm.
- Symptoms may appear later as internal damage develops over time.
Contact Burns and Arc Flash Injuries
A direct electrical injury may cause burns at contact points. With direct current, which flows in one direction, these may be described as entry and exit burns. Alternating current reverses direction, so the Merck Manual uses source and ground points instead. Burn size doesn't reliably show the extent of internal damage.
Arc flash burns differ from contact burns: they result from heat without requiring current to pass through the body. If an arc flash ignites clothing, the resulting burns are classified separately as flame burns in StatPearls.
Type of Injury | Characteristics | Potential Risks | Monitoring Needs |
Entry Burns (Direct Current) | Burns where current enters the body; size and depth vary. | May accompany severe internal damage. | Medical assessment for internal injuries and delayed symptoms. |
Exit Burns (Direct Current) | Burns where current leaves the body; size and depth vary. | Can involve significant skin and underlying tissue damage. | Medical assessment of burn depth and underlying tissue damage. |
Skin Burns from Arc Flash | Burns caused by intense heat from electrical arcs. | Severe skin burns; ignited clothing can cause additional flame burns. | Medical assessment of the burn's depth and extent. |
Cardiac Arrest | The heart stops pumping blood effectively after current disrupts its activity. | Loss of blood flow to the brain and other organs. | Call 911 and begin lifesaving first aid once it's safe; see the response guidance below. |
Pro-Tip: After an electrical injury, watch for subtle changes in memory, mood, or focus. These issues may not show up right away. They can be easy to miss or dismiss. StatPearls identifies memory and attention problems among possible long-term effects.
Share new symptoms with your doctor at each visit. Ask whether a specialist assessment is needed if you notice problems. Don't ignore small changes. Even mild symptoms can affect work, relationships, and safety. Involve family or close friends in tracking changes, since they may notice things you miss.
Heart Rhythm Problems and Emergency Response
Cardiac arrest can occur when electric current interferes with the heart's normal rhythm. This can happen when current passes through the chest, affecting the heart muscle. Even low-voltage shocks can cause ventricular fibrillation.
Ventricular fibrillation makes the heart's lower chambers quiver instead of pumping blood. Blood flow stops, which can cause loss of consciousness and death without immediate treatment. High-voltage injuries can also damage the heart and surrounding tissues.
According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), citing U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, 5,180 nonfatal electrical injuries involving days away from work occurred in 2023 and 2024 combined. ESFI reports that this was a 59% increase from the previous two-year period.
Workers in installation, maintenance, and repair occupations may face hazards such as contact with a live wire.
The BLS recorded 130 fatal electrical injuries in U.S. workplaces in 2024. Its industry table lists 52 of those deaths in construction, which works out to 40% of the total.
If you've experienced an electric shock, don't judge its severity by visible burns alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises medical evaluation because burns can occur inside the body.
StatPearls recommends an electrocardiogram (ECG) and heart monitoring for adults with electrical injuries. An ECG records the heart's electrical activity and can reveal rhythm problems.
In an emergency, call 911. Don't touch the injured person until the electrical source has been shut off and the scene is safe. Turn off the power only if you can do so safely, and stay clear of downed power lines. The CDC's first-aid guidance explains how rescuers can avoid becoming injured themselves.
Once it's safe to approach, if an adult is unresponsive and isn't breathing normally or is only gasping, start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Use an automated external defibrillator (AED) as soon as one is available. The American Heart Association recommends CPR and rapid defibrillation for cardiac arrest following electrical injury. Follow the emergency dispatcher's instructions and the AED's prompts.