Lichtenberg figures associated with a high-voltage industrial burn

Abstract

A 49-year-old man sustained a 15% total body surface area electric burn. At the time the burn occurred, the patient was working in a team and carried a metallic bar. This bar had clearly touched a railway electrical cable which was just above. The wire was transporting a 25 000 V alternating current. The worker felt backwards and suffered a transient loss of consciousness. Most of the burn was superficial, with only 4% being deep dermal in nature. The localisations of burns were: left lateral thorax and abdomen, left arm (wrist) and posterior right leg. The deepest lesion was situated on the left wrist (Fig. 1). There was a fern-leaf mark on the left shoulder (Fig. 2), which was painless and disappeared on the second day. There were no other traumatic or neurological injuries. Fluid resuscitation, cardiac and respiratory monitoring and analgesia were commenced on the field and continued in the burn intensive care unit (ICU). At admission, the electrocardiogram showed only sinus tachycardia and remained without other abnormalities. There