Introduction
One of the scariest things when heavy rain is lightning. The flashes and the booming sound create a horror for human. The horror grew, as many media reported that the victim who was struck by lightning culminated in death.
What happens when someone gets struck by lightning?
Thunderstorms are certainly a terrible thing. Lightning can strike the earth at speeds of up to 300,000 kilometers per hour, which is as large as the energy produced by a nuclear reactor.
The power delivered by lightning to the ground usually at 300 kilovolts, or 150 times greater than the electricity used for industry. This power will leave a trace of plasma that illuminates the earth with zig-zag light that we often see.
The situation will be worse if you wear metal accessories, such as necklaces, or piercings. These objects can easily conduct electricity, and make the skin roast instantly. If this lightning comes out through your feet to the ground, the footwear you wear will instantly be destroyed.
Blood vessels that are burned by electric shock from lightning and heat, will usually cause a condition called lichtenberg figure in the skin, where the skin becomes a patterned wound resembling a tree branch.
In some extreme cases, when a person is struck by lightning, they will immediately experience cardiac arrest. This is caused by a heart rhythm that changes after being hit by electric shock. This is what causes some cases of death from lightning strikes.
The Impact to the Heart of Survivors
There are three ways lightning hit the human body including direct strike, splash, or ground whack. The heart can be affected through both direct and indirect strike. Since the heart cell works mainly with the conduction system, many cardiovascular manifestation could be appeared.
Direct Strike
Direct strike can cause asystole right after the strike. Once asystole, CPR is needed to provoke the automacity of the heart muscle. 80 pecents of the cases were returned to tachycardia. Myocardial injury is reported within 4 hour after a direct hit. Another manifestation is revealed such as ST Elevation, prolong QT-interval and T-inversion on the ECG description. Ventricular failure and myocardial stunning also reported with last the Ejection Fraction (EF) no more than 45%.
Splash
The clinical manifestation is not so different with the direct hit. Victims will experience myocardial injury, prolong QT-interval, non spesific ST an T wave alteration on ECG, and ventricular contraction disorder.
Conclusion
People who who getting struck both directly and indirectly by lightning then survive, will have a significant impact to their heart as if they have a severe sudden heart disease.
References :
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0735109793906992?via%3Dihub
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2933371/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5610732/pdf/aer-06-114.pdf