Bounced off a Truck Out of the Blue: A Case Report of a Lightning Strike During a Thunderstorm

Division

North Florida

Hospital

Ocala Regional Medical Center

Document Type

Case Report

Publication Date

11-17-2020

Keywords

lichtenberg figure, lightning

Disciplines

Emergency Medicine | Environmental Public Health | Trauma

Abstract

Lightning strikes are a relatively uncommon emergency department presentation, and due to the very high energy involved, can present quite dramatically, including cardiac arrest. However, as with many chief complaints, sometimes these patients can be discharged home after a benign emergency department evaluation. We present one such case of a male who was struck to the ground by lightning outside his truck, which subsequently caught on fire. He demonstrated the classic Lichtenberg figures associated with a lightning injury that evolved over time but was otherwise hemodynamically stable. After an unremarkable laboratory evaluation and electrocardiogram, he was safely discharged home.

Publisher or Conference

Cureus

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