An electrician working near a high-tension switchboard suffers an accidental short circuit close to his face. Examination shows dry, pale, parchment-like burns over the face and neck with singeing of eyebrows. There are no entry or exit current marks anywhere on the body and he survives. These burns are best classified as:

• A Arc (flash) burns caused by radiant heat of the electric arc ✓
• B True electrical (conduction) burns requiring passage of current through the body
• C Flame burns from ignition of clothing
• D Chemical burns from vaporised contact metal

Explanation

Arc or flash burns result from the intense radiant heat of the electric arc, whose temperature may reach several thousand degrees Celsius, without any current entering the body. Hence there are no entry or exit marks. They are typically dry, pale, superficial and sharply demarcated, often affecting exposed parts such as the face. True conduction burns require current flow through tissue and produce Joule-type contact marks, which are absent here, ruling out option B.

Reference: The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 35th ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.