Electrical burn with visceral injury.

Abstract

A 37-year-old female patient suffered high voltage electrical injury with resultant exit wound on the left quadrant of the abdomen measuring 15 X 10 cm2 involving full thickness of the abdominal wall including the peritoneum. Early debridement and exploratory laparotomy was performed on the fifth post-burn day although the patient had no abdominal symptoms. All visceral organs were grossly normal. The peritoneum was closed and the wound covered with split thickness skin graft. On the twelfth post-burn day the anterior wall of the stomach sloughed and resulted in a 10 X 10 cm2 gastrocutaneous fistula. After 1 month of duodenostomy feeding via the fistula using a Foley catheter, the fistula was closed and was covered with greater omental flap and split thickness skin. Seventeen days later the patient was discharged following an uneventful recovery.