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Affiliation
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Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland chris.a@pobox.com Zidan Medical, Inc., San Jose, CA, USA panescu_d@yahoo.com. |
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Abstract
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TYPE OF STUDY: This is a paper providing guidelines for medico-legal reporting.
BACKGROUND: Electric shocks are common, and victims report difficulty in finding practitioners with knowledge of the injury. Medical Practitioners, especially in private practice, report lack of knowledge of the injury and lack of expertise in assessing and treating the injury. The authors are often requested to suggest investigation protocols, assessment protocols, and treatment protocols, and to provide educational information.
METHODS: The international body establishing electrical standards on the effects of current on the body (International Electrotechnical Commission, Maintenance Team 4 (MT4) of Technical Committee 64 (TC64)) have established protocols for the factors which require documentation and reporting of the injury. This paper provides a narrative approach to using these protocols in accord with the standards (IEC 60479). The level of evidence is Level III (US/Canada classification). TYPE: This paper collects together and collates physical and medical aspects of investigating electric shocks, and summarises those of importance, and which are potentially forgotten. The thoroughness of initial assessment is emphasised. SUBSTANCE: Summaries are set out to guide first attenders and emergency medical personnel as to findings and observations which must be recorded for later comprehensive medico-legal reporting and which are often overlooked.
CONCLUSIONS: Wider teaching in the nature of electric shocks will enhance assessment of victims and thorough recording of pertinent information and thus will enhance later medico-legal reporting. Many such factors are initially overlooked and lead to inadequate reporting for forensic purposes.
Language: en |