Lightning Injury Caused by a Side Flash

Kei Jitsuiki¹, Ken-ichi Muramatsu¹, Shin-ichi Shoda¹ and Youichi Yanagawa^1,

¹Department of Acute Critical Care Medicine, Shizuoka Hospital, Juntendo University

Cite this paper

Kei Jitsuiki, Ken-ichi Muramatsu, Shin-ichi Shoda and Youichi Yanagawa. Lightning Injury Caused by a Side Flash. American Journal of Medical Case Reports. 2020; 8(12):538-540. doi: 10.12691/AJMCR-8-12-29

Abstract

A 29-year-old male soldier, who was taking part in a military field training exercise during summer, lost consciousness and fell backwards while sheltering at the foot of a tree that was struck by lightning during a thunderstorm. Upon arrival, his vital signs were stable. He had a linear burn at the right brachium with headache. Electrocardiography, cardiac ultrasound and whole body computed tomography revealed no specific findings. Blood biochemistry revealed rhabdomyolysis. The post-admission course was uneventful. This is a rare report of a patient who received a side flash from a tree during a lightning strike. Service members who routinely train and work outdoors should be vigilant in relation to the dangers of lightning.

Keywords

lightning injury, side flash, headache

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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