Diffuse electrical injury: Questioning the scientific basis

Published reports postulate the existence of an electrical injury syndrome or pattern whereby clinical and physical manifestations of a shock injury occur remote to the actual current pathway, and may present in the absence of related acute findings. It is suggested that the extent of such injury is unrelated to the magnitude of shock current and that the timing of the ldquodiffuse electrical injuryrdquo may be indefinitely delayed with respect to the time of the sustained shock. Other reports refer to possible shock injury mechanisms that manifest solely with neuropsychological symptoms. A critical examination of this literature reveals no mechanistic basis for the association of the proposed physical symptoms of diffuse electrical injury with remote injury. Additionally, serious errors in the stated methodology of the publications citing the existence of diffuse electrical injury cast doubt upon the scientific basis for the stated conclusions.