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       # Electric shock
       
       Electric shock can cause burns and stop the heart.
       
 (IMG) Electric shock
       
       * If a person is being shocked: Do not touch the person.  The
         electricity can pass through his body and shock anyone who touches
         him.  First, unplug or turn off the machine or tool causing the
         shock.  If you cannot turn off the power, use dry clothing, rope,
         or a piece of wood, such as a broom handle, as a tool to separate
         the victim from the power source.  Do not use anything wet or made
         of metal.  If the person is lying in water, use the wood or cloth
         to drag him out, and do not step in the water yourself!  Then you
         can move the person away from the source of electricity.
       * Electric shock can cause breathing to stop.  Start rescue
         breathing.
       * If there is no heartbeat try to start the heart by giving chest
         compressions--press hard and fast on the middle of the chest.  It
         may take a long time.  Keep trying.
       * If the person is breathing and her heart is beating, look for
         signs of burns.  As with a gunshot wound, there should be both an
         entry and exit burn.
       * Check for other injuries.  Mental confusion, nerve damage
         (problems with feeling or movement), hearing loss, or circulation
         problems can all arise.  If the person fell, he may have a head
         injury, broken bones, or bleeding.
       
 (DIR) rescue breathing
 (DIR) chest compressions
       
       If the shock was low-voltage and the person has no sign of problems
       after a few hours, he will likely be OK.  If the shock was
       high-voltage or from lightning, or if the person has lingering
       problems, be more cautious.  Burns inside the body can be much more
       severe than burns on the skin where the electricity entered and left
       the body.  IV fluids and other remedies may be needed.  It may take
       days or weeks to know the real damage.
       
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