Health impact of lightning strikes

Milford, Conn. (WTNH) -- There are direct and indirect lightning strikes: an indirect strike is when you're standing nearby and you feel a shock. Most people survive indirect strikes; News 8 found out a third of those who are struck directly or indirectly do not.

There were lightning strikes across the state as a wicked storm rolled through. Some were captured by digital camera's and sent in through News 8's Report It feature.

Luckily, no fatalities were reported.  

Dr. Chris Gennino at Milford Hospital says, "if the electricity travels through your body, the one thing that's going to kill you immediately would be if your heart stops and you have some pulmonary arrhythmia. Your heart stops or your breathing stops."

Dr. Gennino is a physician in  the Emergency Department. He says 75 percent of those who do survive could have permanent disabilities.

"The lightning goes out one hand and out the other hand, it  travels through your shoulders across your heart.  If it doesn't kill you initially, it may cause deep tissue injury to your muscles and nerves, so you can have nerve damage. The muscle tissue that gets released can damage kidneys."
    
If someone has been struck and an automatic external defibrillator is close by, Dr. Gennino says grab it and shock the heart back into a regular rhythm.  

He also recommends, "if the patient does have a heartbeat, they may not be breathing because their respiratory muscles are paralyzed from the lightning.  Breathe for the patient.  Mouth to mouth resuscitation."

However, with cell phones around, Dr. Gennino says there's no excuse for not calling 911 first thing.
 
He says avoid going out when there is lightning. The best place is the home or the car and wait it out.