Citation

Mahajan OA, Mahajan S, Lahane V, Batra N. Cureus 2022; 14(12): e32443.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Curēus)

DOI

10.7759/cureus.32443

PMID

36644050

PMCID

PMC9833809

Abstract

Lightning strikes are frequently encountered and are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. It could impair several organs, but the effects of electric current on the cardiovascular system contribute to the primary cause of cardiorespiratory arrest. These effects can be either transient or persistent, ranging from benign or life-threatening arrhythmias, ischemic injury, myocardial contusion, aortic injury, cardiomyopathy, and ventricular failure. Myocarditis has been an important but not very well-understood cause of cardiac dysfunction. Fulminant myocarditis is defined as patients presenting with severe heart failure, having a duration of <2 weeks of symptoms, and requiring inotropic or mechanical circulatory support. This condition can rapidly lead to hemodynamic instability and death. Resuscitation for a longer time increases the probability of favorable outcomes in young and previously healthy patients. This case report accounts for a case of a healthy young male who was struck by lightning while working on the farm and developed electrocardiographic changes along with positive cardiac biomarkers.

Language: en

Keywords

cardiac biomarkers; echocardiogram; electrocardiography; lightning injury; myocarditis