ZIAUDDIN COLLEGE OF PHYSICAL THERAPY
Electrical Shocks, Safety Measures, and Maintenance of Line-Powered Devices
Subject: physical agents & electrotherapy-I
I. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
A. Electrical Shock
B. Line-Versus Battery-Powered Devices
C. Dangers Of Line Powered Devices
D. Physiological Damage
E. Purpose Of Chapter
II. GENESIS OF AN ELECTRICAL SHOCK
A. Ground-Fault Pathway
B. Device Electrical Insulation
C. Body As Pathway
III. PROTECTION AGAINST ELECTRICAL SHOCKS
A. Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter Receptacle
B. Operating Mechanism
C. Testing GFCI Receptacle
IV. PREVENTION, OPERATIONAL SAFETY, AND MAINTENANCE
A. Overall Measures
B. Preventive Measures
C. Operational Safety Measures
D. Maintenance Measures
V. PROCEDURES IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A MACROSHOCK
A. Recommendations
B. Scenario And Procedures
C. Lesson To Be Learned
I. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
A. Electrical Shock
Electricity is a source of energy that can be dangerous for humans, if not used with caution. Electricity is also used in health care field (i.e. electrotherapy) for the purpose of treatment. The clinicians who are using line-powered electro physical agents are unaware of the dangers associated with electrical devices. The risk of electric shocks will increase.
B. Line-Versus Battery-Powered Devices
a line-powered device is that which is powered by building conventional current voltage for example in north America it is characterized by 60 hertz alternating current at 110-125v. A battery-powered device is that which is powered by battery source, characterized by 0 hertz at low voltage, such as 9v.
C. Dangers Of Line-Powered Devices
The flow of AC current in a body (i.e. 60 hertz) is referred as leak...
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...ger the duration of current flows the more severe the body damages will be.
c. Path of flow through the body
If the leakage current is flowing through thoracic region and both hands then it is more dangerous and deadly than the current flowing from one arm to the trunk and leg and finally to earth. This is why touching with two hands represents a high risk of suffering from macro shock.
d. Recap
First remember that (higher than 5 mA) is magnitude of leakage current that is responsible for body damages. Second, remember that large leakage current (i.e. 400 mA) flowing for 2 seconds is less harmful of tissues than the small leakage current (i.e. 25mA) flowing for 45 seconds. Third, always remember that the danger is determined by path of flow through body. Such as, thorax may interfere with the functioning of organs and induce tissue burn or muscle contractions.
...ending on the size and tolerances of the patients, the voltages could have ranged anywhere form 70 to 130 volts. As a direct effect from the large amounts of electricity being imposed into the patient’s body they will lose consciousness almost immediately. The shocks sent them in to convulsions or seizures and therefore increased their insulin levels. After a patient regains consciousness, he or she will not remember any of the events of being shocked. (Noyes and Kolb).
placing a fan in a window to cool a room. The blood vessels are dilated so the
When people think of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) they tend to think of R.P. McMurphy (portrayed by Jack Nicholson in 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) being, literally, shocked into submission. ECT, to many, is a scary and barbaric process more closely linked to a form of punishment than a therapeutic medical procedure. It is a medical horror story almost a century old. However, as with all things, the over 75 years since ECT was first used it has changed a great deal. It is no longer comparable to an executioner’s electric chair.
The original use of electricity as a cure for “insanity” dates back to the beginning of the 16th century when electric fish were used to treat headaches. Electroconvulsive therapy on humans originates from research in the 1930’s into the effects of camphor-induced seizures in people with schizophrenia (Guttmacher, 1994). In 1938, two Italian researchers, Ugo Cerletti and Lucio Bini, were the first to use an electric current to induce a seizure in a delusional, hallucinating, schizophrenic man. The man fully recovered after eleven treatments. This led to a rapid spread of the use of ECT as a way to induce therapeutic convulsions in the mentally ill. Lothar Kalinowsky, Renato Almansi, and Victor Gonda are further responsible in spreading ECT from Italy to North America (Endler, 1988). Although there is some confusion as to who exactly is credited for administering the first ECT in America, it is known that it occurred in the early 1940.
Electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, is a highly effective yet controversial psychiatric method that involves sending electric shockwaves into the brain to cure various mental ailments. Because the populace is not typically educated by psychiatrists on techniques such as ECT, their knowledge comes from inaccurate, and mostly negative, descriptions in the media dictated by non-psychiatrists. Additionally, many patient families are skeptical of ECT because it is not common practice to allow non-medical staff in the therapy room. Furthermore, some psychiatrists perceive this treatment as callous because it is occasionally used without the consent of a patient, should they not be mentally stable. Moreover, because of strong public opposition, ECT
Electronic controlled devices basically use high voltage, low wattage electrical charges to induce involuntary muscle contractions that cause a subject to be temporarily incapacitated. The weapon system is designed to fire two probes, or darts, that are attached to insulated wires. When the probes make contact with a person, the Taser will produce 50,000 volts of electricity, but only .0021 amps. According to Taser International, Inc. “it is not the volts that are dangerous it is the amps.” Volts are simply the rate the electricity is moving, but amps are the measure of current in the electricity. Taser International (2006)
Halig, Steven et.al. History of Electroconvulsive Therapy. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc., 1999.
...ng occurs it can damage the brain very quickly. The reason why the brain is so sensitive is because when the brain bleeds the blood irritates the brain tissues, and causes the brain to swell.
Safety is a primary concern in the health care environment, but there are still many preventable errors that occur. In fact, a study from ProPublica in 2013 found that between 210,000 and 440,000 patients each year suffer preventable harm in the hospital (Allen, 2013). Safety in the healthcare environment is not only keeping the patient safe, but also the employee. If a nurse does not follow procedure, they could bring harm to themselves, the patient, or both. Although it seems like such a simple topic with a simple solution, there are several components to what safety really entails. Health care professionals must always be cautious to prevent any mishaps to their patients, especially when using machines or lifting objects, as it has a higher
The first accident occurred on a 61-year old woman who was at a follow-up appointment after a breast tumor was removed. She felt a burning sensation and told the operator “you burned me”. She developed swelling and reddening, but the AECL declared this a normal treatment reaction and not a machine malfunction. Her condition wor...
They have been many ways people had tried to avoid this cause yet it very difficult. They try to bury the wires and yet they still give out the EMFs. They try to warn people about the dangers of some electrical devices. Yet some people still get sick.
5. Gregorakos, L, Markou, N, Psalida, V, Kanakaki, M, Alexopoulou, A, Sotiriou, E, Damianos, A, Myrianthefs, P (2009). Near-drowning: clinical course of lung injury in adults. Acute Lung Injury;187:93-97.
The effects include paralysis of a limb or one side of the body and disturbances of speech and vision. The nature and extent of damage depends on the size and location of the affected blood vessels. The main causes are cerebral infarction (approx. 85%) and spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage (15%) (Waugh & Grant, 2010).
and the person could go in to a state of worry or even worse shock. In this occurrence it could immobilize
often done by electrical discharge in a pure gas - or gas mixture - in a tube.