Evaluation and treatment of lightning injuries

Lightning is a frequent occurrence worldwide with an estimated 50 occurrences per second and 20% of those resulting in ground strikes. It is impossible to know exactly, but it is estimated that worldwide there are approximately 24,000 fatalities with ten times as many injuries annually due to lighting. Most of these incidents are avoidable. It is important that clinicians have sound knowledge of the injuries that can occur and the proper treatment of lightning-related injuries. This lesson will discuss the evaluation and treatment of lightning injuries.