THE NEED FOR CARDIAC MONITORING AFTER ELECTRICAL INJURY

Objective: A common clinical problem in hospital emergency departments is the patient who presents after receiving an electric shock from the 240 volt domestic supply and who is asymptomatic with a normal electrocardiogram. This paper examines the need to monitor these patients. Design: The medical records of all patients with electrical injuries who were admitted to Westmead Hospital in a 10-year period were retrospectively studied, and the management policy for this type of problem was surveyed in 36 hospitals around Australia. Results and conclusions: The 70 admissions in the retrospective study and the bulk of evidence in the literature support what appears to be the most common current policy in Australian emergency departments -that is, to discharge patients who have had 240 volt electric shock provided that they are asymptomatic and have a normal electrocardiogram.