Almost every organ system may be affected as lightning current passes through the human body taking the shortest pathways between the contact points.
A 10 years retrospective study (1996-2005) was conducted from the autopsy reports at Forensic Pathology Units. There were 27 fatal cases of lightning strike with male preponderance (92.59%) and male to female ratio of 12.5:1. Majority of victims of lightning strike were from the age group between 30 and 39 years old. Most of the victims were foreign workers. Indonesian’s workers contributed to 59.26% of overall cases. Majority of them were construction workers who attributed i.e.11 of 27 cases (40.74%). Most of the victims were brought in dead (37.04%). In majority of the cases the lightning incidence occurred in the evenings, with the frequency of 15 of 27 cases (62.5%).
Lightning strike incidence occurred when victims had taken shelter (25.9%) under trees or shades. Lightning strike in open areas occurred in 10 of 27 cases (37.0%). Head and neck were the most commonly affected sites with the incidence of 77.78% and 74% respectively in all the victims. Only 29.63% of the cases presented with ear bleeding.
Report from: University Hospital Kuala Lumpur
Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Klang
Japan