Lightning Stops Heart
August 14, 2006 by Lei
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
In a British seaside town yesterday, lightning struck a 12-year-old girl and put her in intensive care. She was walking a dog with two friends who were also struck by lightning. All three were found lying in a line with two of them conscious and the third unconscious with no pulse.
According to the Merck Manual:
Lightning delivers a massive, very hot electrical pulse over a fraction of a millisecond. The brief duration of the exposure frequently limits the damage to the outer layer of skin. In addition, lightning is much less likely to cause internal burns than generated electricity. However, it can kill a person by instantaneously short-circuiting the heart or brain. Lightning is the second most frequent cause of storm-related deaths in the United States.
If you find yourself outside in a lightning storm, do NOT seek shelter in a small open structure like a gazebo. Find a large enclosed building or car with the windows closed. If there’s no hiding place available, make yourself as low to the ground as possible by squatting but DON’T lie on the ground. If you’re indoors, avoid contact with water, talking on the phone, using the computer, or listening to headphones.
These safety precautions might seem unnecessary but about 10% of people with lightning injuries die. The probability of being struck by lightning varies depending on where you are. For detailed information, visit the National Lightning Safety Institute.
BBC News, August 14, 2006
Photo credit: NOAA Photo Library
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