Children are curious and of course they do not know that you can not put anything in the interesting socket with the two holes. You also do not know that electrical appliances should not come into contact with water. The curiosity and joy of experimentation of a child is therefore not an electrical device in the way, the plug was pulled out.
Are children in the household or you often visit children, it is important to make the apartment child safe.
- Provide all sockets with child safety devices. This also applies to permanently connected devices such as televisions, cookers, refrigerators or lamps.
- Accidents with a hair dryer are common: it should therefore not be plugged into the socket and best not kept freely accessible.
- Check your electrical cables and equipment regularly for damage.
By the way: Outside, the greatest danger is from high-voltage power lines. Therefore, you should only fly kites at a reasonable distance from these lines.
What happens during the electric accident?
A strong electric shock is usually triggered by a human body, which gets into a circuit. The extent of the damage depends on how strong the current is, how long it acts on the body and the course of the current flow in the body.
This current flow is particularly dangerous for the heart and brain. If the heart is affected, it may cause arrhythmia to the point of atrial fibrillation. In such a state, the heart can no longer beat regularly and no longer transport the blood to the vital organs. In the worst case, a cardiac arrest threatens.
Other consequences can be:
- epileptic seizures,
- Memory lapses,
- Unconsciousness right through to
Attention: Cardiac arrhythmias can still occur hours after the accident. Therefore, even after a lightly ignited electrical accident, a doctor must be consulted. The child is connected to a monitor for monitoring and gets an ECG written. In addition, it can cause burns and severe damage to the tissue. Especially the skin burns at the entry and exit points of the stream, the so-called electricity marks, can cause (at first sight not visible) heavy tissue damage.
First aid measures
The most important goal is to interrupt the circuit or to disconnect the child from the power source without endangering himself. If the child still has contact with the power source, you can get an electric shock yourself:
- Disconnect the circuit: Switch off the device, pull out the plug or unscrew the fuse.
Is this not possible:
- Disconnect the child from the power source: Use a non-conductive object (such as a wooden broom style), or wrap a dry towel or other non-conductive material around a body part and pull it away.
- Keep the child warm and calm
- Notify the emergency doctor
- Control the state of consciousness, respiration and pulse several times
- In case of unconsciousness with existing breathing: Bring the child to a stable lateral position. In case of cardiac arrest: start immediately with resuscitation measures.