Electrical Burns: Symptoms, Causes, Complications, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention and When to Call 911 — What You Need to Know
Updated: 2 days ago
Medically reviewed by Dr. Baraa Alnahhal, MD · Last reviewed: September 2026
Quick Answer
An electrical burn happens when an electrical current generates enough heat to damage the cells in your body. Unlike other burns that damage from the outside in, electrical burns can also injure tissues deep inside the body where the damage cannot be seen. That is why even a burn that looks minor always requires medical care, and a shock involving more than 100 volts always requires care right away. Treatment depends on the burn's severity and depth, and prevention — from covering sockets to avoiding water and live wires — is the best protection of all.
TL;DR
What it is: an electrical current generates enough heat to damage the cells in your body.
Why it is different: electricity can cause serious injuries inside the body, not just on the skin.
Who is at elevated risk: about 1 in 5 electrical burns happens to children.
Household voltage risk: U.S. homes use 120-volt circuits — more than enough to cause severe burns.
Dangerous current level: only about 0.05 amps (50 milliamps) can cause dangerous arrhythmias like ventricular fibrillation.
Bottom line: burns from any electric shock always need medical care; high-voltage shocks are always a 911 emergency.
Limitation: this article is based strictly on the cited clinical source. That source provides no overall prevalence or incidence figures for electrical burns, so no burn-rate statistics are stated here beyond the single figure it does give (about 1 in 5 electrical burns happens to children). Figures such as the 120-volt household current and the 0.05-amp arrhythmia threshold come directly from that source's cited literature.
What Are Electrical Burns?
Electricity is a basic necessity for most people, but it can also be dangerous when used carelessly. Electrical burns happen when an electrical current generates enough heat to damage cells in your body. This can occur when an electrical current touches or travels through you.
The damage from these burns can run deeper inside your body, where you can't see it. While other types of burns damage your body from the outside in, electrical burns can also cause serious injuries inside you. When in doubt, the safest response to an electric shock is to get medical care.
What Do Electrical Burns Feel and Look Like?
What are the symptoms of an electrical burn?
The symptoms of electrical burns can vary depending on how deep the current travels in your body and the parts it affects. These can include:
Pain, numbness or tingling, depending on burn severity.
Entry and exit wounds, which are more likely with high-voltage burns.
Blistering, peeling or swelling.
Redness or darkening, making the skin look blackened, scorched, charred or ashen.
Why can electrical burn pain feel worse than the burn looks?
While electrical burns often cause very visible damage, sometimes the damage you can see doesn't look as bad as the damage inside your body. That is why pain from an electrical burn can feel worse than the burn looks. The visible skin injury may understate the internal injury, which is one reason every electrical burn deserves professional evaluation.
What Causes Electrical Burns?
How do electrical burns happen?
There are many ways electrical burns can happen. The clinical literature describes at least ten distinct scenarios, summarized below.
Accidental shocks from power lines.
Carrying batteries in your pockets with other items that electricity travels through easily, like keys or coins.
Contact with or arcing from live, ungrounded or improperly grounded power lines or towers.
Damaged appliances or machines, or frayed or damaged cables, wires or cords.
Electrical current traveling through water and causing a shock.
Doing electrical work, whether professional or nonprofessional.
Improper installation or use of electrical generators, or improper use of extension cords or power strips.
Lightning strikes, either directly or when electricity from the strike "splashes" and hits you.
Working on electrical appliances or devices.
Working on automobiles, especially if the battery isn't disconnected properly.
Are children more likely to get electrical burns?
About 1 in 5 electrical burns happens to children. They're at risk from things like chewing on cables or cords, or touching or inserting something into unprotected electrical sockets.
Why Do Electrical Burns Damage Tissues Inside the Body?
What makes some tissues conduct electricity and others not?
There are many ways electrical burns can happen, and the internal damage they cause follows a physical pattern. Some tissues, like muscles and nerves, are good electrical conductors. But others — like skin, fat and bones — aren't. When electricity can't flow easily, some of it converts to heat. That heat is what injures deeper tissues and organs along the current's path through the body.
What Complications Can Electrical Burns Cause?
What are the complications of electrical burns?
Electrical burns can cause severe or life-threatening complications, especially when electricity travels through your body. The recognized complications include:
Bone fractures: higher voltages can heat your bones enough to break them.
Compartment syndrome: pressure builds within muscle compartments after injury.
Dehydration or electrolyte imbalances: especially with larger burns.
Internal burns or other injuries: from the electricity itself or from heating of bones and other tissues.
Loss of consciousness or coma: from the shock's effect on the brain.
Muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis): can lead to kidney failure and other muscle injuries.
Necrosis: especially with severe tissue damage.
Can electrical burns affect mental health?
Severe injuries, including electrical burns, can also lead to mental health conditions and issues. That includes anxiety, depression, irritability or PTSD. Your healthcare provider can tell you more about what to expect in your case.
How Are Electrical Burns Diagnosed?
How do doctors diagnose an electrical burn?
Healthcare providers diagnose electrical burns using a few methods. They'll do a physical exam to look for injuries. They'll also do a neurological exam to check your nerves and brain.
Asking you — or someone who was with you — questions can help with diagnosing an electrical burn. That's especially true if you have internal injuries that aren't plain to see.
What will your provider ask about?
Details matter with electrical burns, and your provider will ask about them. Try to give them as much information as possible about how the burn happened, because it can help your treatment.
Two key details that may help are the voltage and amperage. The higher either is, the worse an electrical burn can be. Experts consider anything over 100 volts or 500 volts (depending on who you ask) high voltage.
Does household electricity cause severe burns?
It doesn't take high numbers for either voltage or amperage to cause a burn. Homes in the U.S. use 120-volt circuits. That's more than enough to cause severe electrical burns. And it only takes about 0.05 amps (50 milliamps) to cause dangerous arrhythmias like ventricular fibrillation.
What tests are used with electrical burns?
If there's a chance you could have internal electrical burn injuries, your provider may also recommend running:
Blood tests: signs of tissue damage.
Urine tests: how your kidneys are doing.
Imaging scans (CT or ultrasound): signs of internal injuries.
Electrocardiogram (EKG): whether your heart is OK — commonly run after any known electric shock.
Healthcare providers will usually run tests on your heart, like an electrocardiogram (EKG), if they know you received an electric shock. This is common with electrical injuries, including burns. They do this to make sure your heart is OK.
How Are Electrical Burns Treated?
What should you do if you're with someone being shocked?
If you're with someone who is being shocked, start with electric shock first aid. Don't touch them. Turn off the power entirely if you can. Or use something nonconductive to break the connection (like something entirely made of plastic or wood).
When does an electrical injury need emergency care?
The urgency depends on voltage and whether a burn is present. The clinical guidance breaks down into three situations:
High-voltage electrical shock: always a medical emergency — call 911 or your local emergency services number immediately.
Any burn from a low-voltage shock: needs fast care — don't self-treat; go to the nearest emergency room or hospital.
Low-voltage shock with no burn: not an emergency — see your primary care provider within the next two days, or go to an urgent care or clinic; if other symptoms develop, go to a hospital or emergency room.
The guiding principle is simple: electrical burns — no matter how minor they look — always need medical care. If it's enough to burn you, it's enough to cause internal injuries.
How are electrical burns treated by professionals?
Professional treatments for electrical burns vary depending on burn severity and depth. Because these burns can be complex, more severe burns usually need treatment in a larger hospital facility, especially those with burn units.
Skin surface burns typically need the same treatment as burns from heat. Those include bandages or dressings, cleaning and debriding (removing dead or damaged tissue to help injuries heal), surgery including skin grafts, wound care, pain treatments and physical therapy.
The more serious complications of electrical burns often need specific treatments. Some examples include:
Breathing support: if you can't breathe on your own.
Splints or casts: for bone fractures.
IV fluids: to make sure you stay hydrated.
Medications or treatments for the kidneys: to filter out toxins from damaged muscle tissue.
Surgeries like fasciotomy: for compartment syndrome or to remove dead tissue.
You might need other treatments, depending on your injuries. Your healthcare provider can offer recommendations and tell you more.
What can you expect from an electrical burn?
What to expect from an electrical burn depends on many factors. The severity of the burn is one. But the type of electric current, voltage and more can all play a factor. Your healthcare provider is the best person to tell you more.
Can Electrical Burns Be Prevented?
How can you prevent electrical burns?
Some of the most important ways to prevent electrical burns include:
Always stay away from downed power lines, and don't drive through water near them. Avoids the most dangerous current sources.
Don't use devices, cords or cables with visible fraying or damage. Damaged insulation lets current escape.
Never use electrical devices or switches when standing in water. Water conducts current and raises shock risk.
Leave work with or near electricity to professionals. Trained handling prevents errors.
Protect children by covering electrical sockets and keeping cords out of reach. Children account for about 1 in 5 electrical burns.
Read safety manuals and follow instructions for electrical devices. Correct use prevents accidents.
Turn off or disconnect power completely when doing electrical work. Eliminates live current at the source.
When Should You Call Your Provider or Seek Emergency Care?
Call 911 or your local emergency services number immediately if someone receives a high-voltage electrical shock — high-voltage shocks are always a medical emergency.
Go to the nearest emergency room or hospital without delay for any burn caused by an electric shock, no matter how minor it looks, and especially for burns from low-voltage shocks, which need fast care.
Contact your primary care provider within the next two days (or visit an urgent care or clinic) after a low-voltage shock with no burn — but if you start developing other symptoms, go to a hospital or emergency room instead.
Mention mental health symptoms to your provider as well, since severe injuries can lead to anxiety, depression, irritability or PTSD.
Conclusion: Every Electrical Burn Needs Professional Care
For most people, electricity is more than just a convenience — it's a basic necessity. But electricity can also be a danger if you aren't careful using it, and the damage from these burns can run deeper inside your body, where you can't see it.
Maybe you were trying to jump-start your car, or you touched a light switch with wet hands. Once the initial shock wears off, you might find yourself worrying about what to do. If you have an electrical burn, it needs medical care. And if it came from something using more than 100 volts, it always needs medical care right away.
If you don't have a burn, it's usually not a major issue. But when in doubt, you should still get medical care. Healthcare providers would rather tell you that you're fine than have you not get the care you need. And whenever possible, prevention is best. It's better to be safe and call a professional than to take a risk and get hurt.
What to do next. Treat every electrical burn as a medical event, even a small one, because internal damage can exceed what the skin shows. Know your home's electrical limits — 120-volt circuits and currents as low as 0.05 amps can cause serious harm. If you or a loved one is shocked, follow the triage guidance above: 911 for high voltage, emergency room for any burn, and a provider visit within two days for a shock without a burn. And build prevention into your home, including socket covers for children, frayed-cord checks and complete power disconnection before any electrical work.
This content is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is an electrical burn?
An electrical burn happens when an electrical current generates enough heat to damage cells in your body. This can occur when an electrical current touches or travels through you.
How are electrical burns different from other burns?
While other types of burns damage your body from the outside in, electrical burns can also cause serious injuries inside you, in tissues you can't see.
What are the symptoms of an electrical burn?
Symptoms can include pain, numbness or tingling (depending on burn severity), entry and exit wounds (more likely with high-voltage burns), blistering, peeling or swelling, and redness or darkening that makes skin look blackened, scorched, charred or ashen.
Why does electrical burn pain often feel worse than the burn looks?
While electrical burns often cause very visible damage, sometimes the damage you can see doesn't look as bad as the damage inside your body. That's why pain from an electrical burn can feel worse than the burn looks.
What are entry and exit wounds?
Entry and exit wounds mark where electrical current enters and leaves the body. They are more likely with high-voltage burns.
What causes electrical burns?
Common causes include accidental shocks from power lines, damaged appliances or frayed cords, current traveling through water, electrical work, improper use of generators or extension cords, lightning strikes, working on electrical devices or automobiles with connected batteries, and contact with live or ungrounded power lines.
Can batteries cause electrical burns?
Yes. Carrying batteries in your pockets with other items that electricity travels through easily, like keys or coins, can cause an electrical burn.
How do lightning strikes cause burns?
Lightning can strike you directly, or electricity from the strike can "splash" and hit you, causing an electrical burn either way.
Can electrical current travel through water?
Yes — electrical current can travel through water and cause a shock, which is why you should never use electrical devices or switches when standing in water.
Are children at risk of electrical burns?
About 1 in 5 electrical burns happens to children. They're at risk from things like chewing on cables or cords, or touching or inserting something into unprotected electrical sockets.
Why do electrical burns damage internal tissues?
Some tissues, like muscles and nerves, are good electrical conductors. But others — like skin, fat and bones — aren't. When electricity can't flow easily, some of it converts to heat, injuring deeper tissues along the current's path.
What complications can electrical burns cause?
Complications include bone fractures (higher voltages can heat bones enough to break them), compartment syndrome, dehydration or electrolyte imbalances, internal burns or injuries, loss of consciousness or coma, muscle breakdown that can lead to kidney failure, and necrosis with severe tissue damage.
Can electrical burns cause bone fractures?
Yes. Higher voltages can heat your bones enough to break them.
Can electrical burns cause kidney failure?
Yes — muscle breakdown from an electrical injury can lead to kidney failure and other muscle injuries.
Can electrical burns affect mental health?
Severe injuries, including electrical burns, can lead to mental health conditions and issues, including anxiety, depression, irritability or PTSD.
How is an electrical burn diagnosed?
Providers use a physical exam to look for injuries, a neurological exam to check your nerves and brain, and questions about how the burn happened — especially important for internal injuries that aren't plain to see.
What voltage is considered high voltage?
Experts consider anything over 100 volts or 500 volts (depending on who you ask) high voltage. The higher the voltage or amperage, the worse an electrical burn can be.
Can household electricity cause severe burns?
Yes. Homes in the U.S. use 120-volt circuits, which is more than enough to cause severe electrical burns.
How much current is dangerous?
It only takes about 0.05 amps (50 milliamps) to cause dangerous arrhythmias like ventricular fibrillation.
What tests are done after an electrical burn?
Providers may run blood tests to look for signs of tissue damage, urine tests to check your kidneys, imaging scans like CT scans or ultrasound for internal injuries, and usually an electrocardiogram (EKG) to make sure your heart is OK.
Why is an EKG done after an electric shock?
Healthcare providers will usually run tests on your heart, like an EKG, if they know you received an electric shock — this is common with electrical injuries, including burns, to make sure your heart is OK.
What should you do if someone is being shocked?
Start with electric shock first aid. Don't touch them. Turn off the power entirely if you can, or use something nonconductive — like something entirely made of plastic or wood — to break the connection.
Do all electrical burns need medical care?
Yes. Electrical burns — no matter how minor they look — always need medical care. If it's enough to burn you, it's enough to cause internal injuries.
When should you call 911 for an electrical injury?
High-voltage electrical shocks are always a medical emergency. Call 911 or your local emergency services number immediately.
Should burns from low-voltage shocks go to the ER?
Yes. Burns from low-voltage shocks need fast care. Don't try to self-treat these — go to the nearest emergency room or hospital for treatment.
Is a shock without a burn an emergency?
Low-voltage shocks without burns aren't an emergency. You should see your primary care provider within the next two days, or go to an urgent care or clinic. But if you start developing other symptoms, go to a hospital or emergency room.
How are electrical burns treated?
Skin surface burns are typically treated like heat burns — bandages or dressings, cleaning and debriding, surgery including skin grafts, wound care, pain treatments and physical therapy. Severe burns usually need treatment at a larger hospital, especially one with a burn unit.
How are the complications of electrical burns treated?
Complications may require breathing support, splints or casts for bone fractures, IV fluids for hydration, kidney medications to filter out toxins from damaged muscle tissue, and surgeries like fasciotomy for compartment syndrome or to remove dead tissue.
What will my recovery look like?
What to expect from an electrical burn depends on many factors, including the severity of the burn, the type of electric current and the voltage. Your healthcare provider is the best person to tell you more.
How can I prevent electrical burns?
Key steps include staying away from downed power lines, avoiding damaged cords and devices, never using electrical devices while standing in water, leaving electrical work to professionals, protecting children with socket covers and cord management, following safety manuals, and turning off or disconnecting power completely when doing electrical work.
References
Electrical Burns — medically reviewed clinical source (last updated November 18, 2025)
Zemaitis MR, Cindass R, Lopez RA, et al. Electrical Injuries. StatPearls (NBK448087)
CDC — What to Do to Protect Yourself From Electrical Hazards (updated 2/9/2024)
Jensen JD, Thurman J, Vincent AL. Lightning Injuries. StatPearls (NBK441920) (2023)
Khor D, et al. Electrical injuries and outcomes: A retrospective review. Burns. 2023;49(7):1739-1744
Sabiston Textbook of Surgery, 21st ed. Elsevier Inc. 2022:484-505 — Wolf SE. Burns
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