Medical Aspects of Lightning
How Big A Problem Is This?
Lightning is a major cause of storm related
deaths in the
U.S..
A lightning strike can result
in a cardiac arrest (heart stopping) at the time of the
injury, although some victims may appear to have a delayed
death a few days later if they are resuscitated but have
suffered irreversible brain damage.
According to the NWS Storm Data, over the last
30 years (1981-2010) the U.S. has averaged 54 reported
lightning fatalities per year. Only about 10% of people who are struck by lightning
are killed, leaving 90% with various degrees of disability.
ODDS OF BECOMING A LIGHTNING VICTIM
(based on averages for 2001-2010) |
Estimated U.S. population as of 2011 |
310,000,000 |
Annual Number of Deaths Reported |
39 |
Number of Injuries Reported |
241 |
280 |
Estimated number of U.S. Deaths |
40 |
Estimated number of actual Injuries |
360 |
400 |
Odds of being struck by lightning in a given year (reported deaths + injuries) |
1/1,000,000 |
Odds of being struck by lightning in a given year (estimated total deaths + injuries) |
1/775,000 |
Odds of being struck in your lifetime (Est. 80 years) |
1/10,000 |
Odds you will be affected by someone being struck (Ten people affected for every one struck) |
1/1000 |
What Are the Medical Symptoms?
Immediate symptoms of Lightning Injury: Most victims experience only some of the symptons below.
- Short-term memory
- Problems coding
new information and accessing old information
- Problems Multitasking
- Slower reaction time
- Distractibility
- Irritability
- Personality change
- Inattentive
- Forgetfulness
- Intense headaches
- Ringing in the ears
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
and other post-concussion types of symptoms
- Difficulty sleeping, sometimes sleeping excessively
at first and then only two or three hours at a time
Delayed Symptoms
- Seizure-like activity
- Pain from back injury or headaches
- Personality Changes/Self-Isolation
- Irritability and embarrasment because they can't remember people, job responsibilities and key information
- Difficulty carrying on a conversation
- Depression
Friends, family and co-workers who see
the same external person, may not understand why the survivor
is so different. Friends soon stop coming by or asking them
to participate in activities. Families who are not committed
to each other break up.
Medical Testing
There are two kinds of medical tests:
-
Anatomic tests take an x-ray, CT scan and MRIs
or blood count measurement. These tests often come back normal
-
Functional tests show how something is
working and are more useful: PET scan, neuropsychological testing
Help Exists for Victims
An organization of tremendous help to survivors,
families, physicians and other professionals is Lightning
Strike and Electric Shock Survivors, International (LSESSI),
a support group formed in 1989 by a lightning victim. LSESSI
has printed materials, offers tremendous support, networks
survivors with others in their area, and provides an annual
meeting where survivors come together for support and lectures
from professionals who work with lightning and electrical
survivors and their families. LSESSI can be reached at 910-346-4708,
info@lightning-strike.org,
or see their Website at http://www.lightning-strike.org/,
or at P.O. Box 1156, Jacksonville, NC 28541-1156.
Four Factors Necessary for Recovery
The four most important factors in overcoming
disability from lightning injury, or from any illness or
major injury for that matter are:
This factsheet courtesy Dr. Mary
Ann Cooper- Associate Professor, Departments
of Emergency Medicine and Bioengineering University of Illinois
at Chicago
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