What would happen if you stick your finger in an electrical outlet?

What if I stuck my finger in an electrical
outlet?Many people, parents in particular, really wonder what would happen
if someone -- possibly their child -- were to stick his or her finger in
an electrical
outlet. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety commission,
each year approximately 4,000 people find themselves in the emergency
room seeking treatment for injuries caused by accidents involving
electrical outlets. About a third to one-half of these patients are
children who decided to stick some kind of metal object (like a paper
clip or spoon handle) or their finger into the outlet. This number may
seem high, but these people are actually the lucky ones. There are
hundreds of folks that never make it to the emergency room.
If
you stick your finger in an electrical outlet, the current can maim or
even kill you. The human body is an excellent conductor for electricity.
Electricity
is always looking for a quick and simple path to the ground. Because
about 70 percent of a human body is made up of water,
it's extremely easy for electricity to course through you in a matter
of seconds. At a minimum, electric shock can cause:
- Headache
- Muscle
fatigue or spasms
- Temporary unconsciousness
- Temporary
breathing difficulty
Some of the more serious and possibly
fatal side effects of electrical shock are:
- Severe burns at
point of contact and along the electricity's course through the body
- Vision
loss
- Hearing
loss
- Brain
damage
- Respiratory arrest or failure
- Cardiac arrest (heart
attack)
- Death
If someone nearby does stick fingers
or some kind of metal object into an outlet and receives an electrical
shock, DO NOT touch the person. If you touch him or her, the electricity
can move from that person's body into yours, shocking you both in the
process. You should quickly shove the victim away from the outlet using
an object that doesn't conduct electricity. A broom handle or dry towel
will work. Once contact has been broken, quickly check the victim's
breathing and pulse, and look for burns. You should seek medical help
immediately.
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