Epidemiology

Between 2017 and 2018, there were 2459 emergency department attendances due to electric shock in the English National Health Service.[3] Regional data provide an insight into the global prevalence of electrical injury. In the Calgary Health Region of Canada, 10 cases of severe electrical injury were reported between 1996 and 2002, resulting in an annual incidence of 2.4 per 1 million population.[4] All patients were male; six died due to severe electrical trauma, giving rise to a death rate of 1.4 per 1 million population.[4] In Diyabakir, Turkey, 126 deaths due to electrocution were reported between 1996 and 2002. Males (69.9%) were more commonly affected than females.[5] In a burn centre in Enugu, Nigeria, 24 patients presented with severe electrical injuries between 1995 and 2004, with a male to female ratio of 4.8:1.[6] In Tabriz, Iran, a study of patients presenting with severe electrical burns over a 5-year period found that 98% of the 202 patients admitted were male.[7] In Shiraz, Iran, 95.3% of patients with severe electrical injury were male.[8] The male predominance in all studies highlights the need for effective prevention strategies in occupational-related injuries.

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