Research Article
Injuries, Sequelae, and Treatment of Lightning-Induced Injuries: 10 Years of Experience at a Swiss Trauma Center
Table 1
Types of lightning strike and ways they affect the human body.
| Type | Mechanism |
| Direct strike | Most of the current flows through the body; highest mortality | Contact voltage | Occurs when lightning strikes an object such as a car or metal pole that the victim is touching | Side flash | Splashing of current from a nearby object or person onto the victim | Ground current | Ground current passes from the strike point through the ground into the victim | Upward streamer | Passage of lightning from the victim upwards | Blast injury | Sudden expansive explosion of the air around the lightning channel causing blunt trauma |
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