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LIGHTNING© Kathleen Newton
Lightning strikes claim up to 300 lives per year in the United States. Lightning is the leading cause of death by natural phenomenon (such as avalanches, tornadoes, rock slides).
During a storm, negative electrical charges build up in the air. As we all remember from Chemistry class, negative charges are very attracted to positive charges. In the case of lightning, the negative charges are attracted to positive charges in the ground. The negative charges travel down from the sky to meet up with the positive charges in the ground. The negative and positive charges mingle, and the energy created by this mingling travels upward toward the sky. This energy is what we see when we witness lightning. YES! Lightning does, in fact, originate at the ground and travels upward! When a person is struck by lightning, as much as 300,000 volts of electricity can pass through the body at speeds of up to 60,000 miles per second. Temperatures of objects and material through which lightning passes can reach up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. As lightning enters the body, its only purpose is to find a way out. The lightning will take the shortest route possible out of the body. However, on its fast journey through the body, lightning can cause severe injury, or even death. Lightning negatively affect the body in two ways: 1) Electrical current is what makes our hearts beat. When a person is struck by lightning, the massive electric shock delivered by the lightning can cause the heart to stop (cardiac arrest). In some cases, the heart resumes beating spontaneously. However, DO NOT wait to see if the heart resumes beating on its own before initiating CPR! 2) In addition to cardiac arrest, the tremendous surge of electrical current going through the body can cause severe burns, both internally and externally. In addition to external burns where the lightning entered and exited the body, lightning can seriously damage internal organs and tissue. The death rate among lightning victims is about 30%, with those suffering immediate cardiac arrest being the most likely to die. The severity of injuries caused by lightning can range from fatal to relatively minor, depending on the route the lightning takes through the body. All victims of lightning strikes should obtain immediate medical attention, even if no injuries are noticed, since injuries may be internal. FIRST AID FOR LIGHTNING VICTIMS: *Call 911. *Move the victim to safety if possible. *Check breathing and pulse. Start CPR or rescue breathing if necessary. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article LIGHTNING in First Aid is owned by Susan Staples. Permission to republish LIGHTNING in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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