Minor superficial thermal contact burns were observed below his belt buckle (Image 1A). Small abrasions were also observed above the scrotum area and the left nipple, and partial thickness punctate burns were observed on the anterior left thigh and over the left nipple (Images 1A and 1B). He sustained multiple burn injuries, including superficial burns on the anterior trunk and legs (Image 1). Chest and pelvic radiography as well as computed tomography (CT) of the head and cervical spine were normal. A focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) and abdominal examination were negative and there was no evidence of compartment syndrome or internal injury. His vitals were normal and he was in normal sinus rhythm (NSR) with no heart murmurs. The patient presented, alert, oriented, and responsive with a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) of 15, but complained of diffuse pain. He recalled falling to his knees and losing sensation in his left leg and subsequently suffered loss of consciousness for a very short period of time post-strike. He presented with superficial and partial thickness cutaneous injuries. CASE PRESENTATION Patient 1Ī 40-year-old male was struck by lightning while walking in a rainstorm holding an umbrella in an open parking lot. Their unique lightning burns and treatment are discussed. While several published case reports describe the injuries of individuals struck by lightning, this report presents a couple that was simultaneously struck by lightning while walking arm-in-arm in the rain holding an umbrella between them. 1 The risk presented by this high strike density in conjunction with the large population density and favorable climate for outdoor and water activities has earned Florida the reputation as the “Lightning Capital of the United States.” 2, 3 Although being struck by lightning is considered an uncommon occurrence, Florida has more than twice as many lightning-related casualties and fatalities than any other state and averages approximately 10 fatalities per year. In Florida, the heat and humidity of the subtropical climate creates optimal conditions for thunderstorms the density of lightning strikes is approximately 30 strikes/km 2 per year, relatively high on the global scale and the highest in the U.S. In the United States, the National Weather Service estimates the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year as approximately one in a million. Therefore, lightning strike victims should be admitted and evaluated for cardiac arrhythmias, renal injury, and neurological sequelae. Despite the superficial appearance of lightning burns, serious internal electrical injuries are common. Both patients presented with characteristic lightning burns and were admitted for hemodynamic monitoring, serum labs, and observation and were subsequently discharged home. This report discusses a couple that was simultaneously struck by lightning while walking arm-in-arm. Photo courtesy of Bert Hickman, people are struck and killed by lightning each year in Florida than any other state in the United States. It appears like frozen lightning.Ī Lichtenberg Figure, or simulated lightning, created by rapidly discharging electrons on a block of acrylic. By using a particle accelerator to charge up a piece of acrylic material electrons, and then suddenly discharging it,Ī lightning-like discharge path is created and burns a trace in the material. Lightning can also be created in a laboratory, at small scale. Takes to reach your ear varies, and the thunder rumbles in a corresponding fractal pattern. Because the pathway of the lightning bolt is a jagged fractal in 3D space, the time it Lightning can be very large, spanning several kilometers, but it is formed in microseconds. Rather, it follows a chaotic, jagged path, formed as the huge charge separation built up in the sky suddenly breaks down.īolt is generally hidden in a cloud, much as an iceberg hides beneath the ocean. As Benoit Mandelbrot noted in the opening quotation, lightning does not travel in straight Another naturally occurring fractal pattern is a lightning bolt.
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