Type of work:

(2006-2012)

Electrician

31%

Journeyman/Lineman

17%

Technician: maintenance, light, HVAC

14%

​

Other: Building maintenance/supervisor, millwright, welder, boom crane operator, water operator in training, rough carpentry, crusher operator, electrical engineer

​

45%

Low-Voltage

(n_total)

High-Voltage

(n_total)

Voltage Not Otherwise Specified

(n_total)

p-value

(LV vs. HV)

Surgical intervention (%)†

54.1 (652)

79.6 (608)

66.1 (587)

0.004*

Fasciotomy/Escharotomy (%)†

4.8 (395)

27.0 (1019)

15.7 (922)

0.2

Amputation (%)†

7.3 (640)

30.2 (1898)

27.2 (1501)

0.02*

Compartment Syndrome (%)†

-

15.0 (120)

-

-

Reconstructive Flap (%)†

-

114.8 (684)

12.5 (585)

-

Average Length of Stay (days)

10.9 (600)

31.2 (1717)

19.8 (1898)

0.002*

ECG changes (%)

-

20.0 (315)

14.6 (941)

-

Myoglobinuria (%)

-

38.9 (476)

27.3 (362)

-

Renal dysfunction (%)

0.0 (108)

13.9 (1098)

4.2 (873)

0.4

Infection (non-specific) (%)

-

15.0 (832)

25.5 (553)

-

Mortality (%)

2.6 (887)

5.2 (1755)

3.7 (1944)

0.2

Mortality (n, %)

23

92

71

Causes of Mortality*

TBSA > 50% (n, %)

-

12 (48%)

10 (20%)

Multi-organ failure/ � Septicemia (n, %)

-

11 (44%)

7 (14%)

Pneumonia (n, %)

-

0 (0%)

8 (15%)

ARDS (n, %)

-

1 (4%)

0 (0%)

Renal Failure/ATN (n, %)

-

0 (0%)

14 (27%)

Myocardial infarction/ � Cardiopulmonary arrest � (n, %)

-

1 (4%)

3 (6%)

Ventricular fibrillation � (n , %)

-

0 (0%)

9 (18%)

Hepatic failure (n, %)

-

1 (4%)

0 (0%)

All Patients^a

HVI

LVI

P

No. of patients

207

76

122

LOS, days, median (IQR)

9 (3-18)

14 (4-24)

8 (3-15)

<0.001

LOS/TBSA, days/%, median (IQR)

2 (1-4)

3 (1-8)

2 (1-3)

<0.001

TBSA, %, median (IQR)

4 (1-10)

3 (1-15)

5 (2-9)

.44

No. of ORs, median (IQR)

1 (0-2)

2 (0-3)

0 (0-1)

<.001

Complications, no. (%)

Rhabdomyolysis

9 (4)

9 (12)

0 (0)

<.001

Compartment syndrome

17 (8)

12 (16)

5 (4)

.007

Infection

28 (14)

15 (20)

11 (9)

.05

Sepsis

11 (5)

8 (11)

3 (3)

.02

Multiple organ failure

1 (1)

1 (1)

0 (0)

.38

Amputation

26 (13)

21 (28)

3 (2)

<.001

Multiple amputations

13 (6)

10 (13)

2 (2)

.001

Requiring rehabilitation, no. (%)

106 (51)

49 (65)

54 (44)

.008

Discharged to inpatient

rehabilitation, no. (%)^b

34 (32)

22 (45)

10 (19)

.005

Discharged to outpatient

rehabilitation, no. (%)^b

72 (68)

27 (55)

44 (81)

.005

Mortality, no. (%)

4 (2)

3 (4)

1 (1)

.16

Abbreviations: HVI, high-voltage injury; LVI, low-voltage injury; LOS, length of stay; TBSA, total body surface area.

^a Includes patients whose voltage was not otherwise specified (n=9).

^b Percentages are calculated based on the total number of patients requiring any form of rehabilitation (All patients, n=106; HVI, n=49; LVI, n=54).

All Patients^a

HVI

LVI

P

​

Acute Cohort

​

No. of patients

59

26

31

Neuropsychological

sequelae, no. (%)

14 (24)

6 (23)

7 (23)

>.99

​

Long-Term Cohort

​

No. of patients

122

51

69

Days to first follow- up, median (IQR)^b

201 (68-766)

504 (179-1236)

224 (41-333)

<.001

Days to last follow-up, median (IQR)^b

980 (391-1409)

1099 (511-1651)

773 (315-1218)

.02

Neuropsychological sequelae, no. (%)

<5 yrs. post-injury

99 (81)

42 (82)

56 (81)

>.99

>5 yrs. post-injury^c

20 (27)

13 (35)

7 (20)

.19

Psychological/ Psychiatric treatment, no. (%)

78 (64)

31 (61)

47 (68)

.44

Medication, no. (%)

78 (64)

30 (59)

47 (68)

.34

Abbreviations: HVI, high-voltage injury; LVI, low-voltage injury.

Analysis excludes patients with documented pre-existing psychiatric conditions.

^a Includes patients whose voltage was not otherwise specified (acute cohort, n=2; long-term cohort, n=2).

^b Calculated from the date of injury.

^c Percentages are calculated based on the total number of patients that were available for follow-up at >5 years post-injury (All patients, n= 74; HVI, n=37; LVI, n=35).

All Patients^a

HVI

LVI

P

No. of patients

90

39

49

Return to pre-injury occupation, no. (%)

​

55 (61)

​

23 (59)

​

30 (61)

​

>.99

Modified Duties, no. (%)^c

33 (60)

15 (65)

17 (57)

.58

Modified Schedule, no. (%)^c

30 (55)

11 (48)

17 (57)

.59

Labour Market Re-Entry, no. (%)

17 (19)

9 (23)

8 (16)

.80

Time to RTW, days, median (IQR)^b

166 (82-414)

207 (102-548)

124 (57-348)

.12

Unable to RTW, no. (%)

17 (19)

6 (15)

11 (22)

.43

Abbreviations: HVI, high-voltage injury; LVI, low-voltage injury; RTW, return-to-work.

^a Includes patients whose voltage was not otherwise specified (n=2).

^b Calculated from the date of injury.

^c Percentages are calculated based on the total number of patients that returned to their pre-injury occupation (All patients,

n= 55; HVI, n=23; LVI, n=30).