ATRIAL FIBRILLATION DUE TO ACCIDENTAL ELECTRIC SHOCK
- William H. Wehrmacher, M.D.
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt
Of the several causes of atrial fibrillation in man, electric shock has received only scant attention. A few previous case reports demonstrate that the arrhythmia may result from accidental shock1 or as a complication of electric convulsive-shock therapy,2 Patients so afflicted are naturally concerned about what the anticipated course of the illness may be. Physicians require knowledge of how it develops and how it can be treated. Those concerned with the adjudication of claims arising from such injuries need information about the prognosis. The following case demonstrates how electric shock may produce atrial fibrillation and that excellent functional recovery can follow such an accident.
Report of a Case The patient, a 52-year-old lineman, on Sept. 2, 1954, was working astride a pole which supported high-tension electric wires. As he worked, he inadvertently assumed a position whereby his left posterior thorax, wet with sweat and covered by only a
