Absolutely do not use your phone in the street during thunderstorms

3 people died from lightning strikes

Mr. DBT (50 years old, from Vu Thu, Thai Binh) drives a motorbike alone, while Mr. NCD (in Dong Hung, Thai Binh) drives a motorbike with his mother, Mrs. NTQ (36 years old) circulating on the road. , when coming to the bordering road between Thuy Thanh and Thuy Duyen communes, he was suddenly struck by lightning, which caused all three deaths on the spot.

All three of them work as painters. Mrs. Q’s husband escaped a few dozen meters behind.

Lightning usually occurs in clouds, but this extreme phenomenon also “likes” atmospheric discharges between clouds and the ground, or clouds of opposite charge.

Lightning can travel at a speed of 36,000 km/h and affect within 8 km. Therefore, the damage caused by lightning is very large, causing death or injury, destroying buildings, bridges, forest fires…

Lightning tends to strike tall or isolated objects, including trees, towers, roofs, flagpoles, doorways, and fences. A person can be the tallest object in the void. Metal objects and water do not attract lightning but easily transmit electricity once lightning strikes.

Lightning can hit a person directly, or an electric current can be transmitted to a person through the ground or nearby objects. Lightning has been observed to strike 10 miles or more away from the storm, even in areas with clear skies, creating an unexpected hazard.

Lightning can also travel from outdoor power or power lines to indoor electrical equipment or telephone lines. Lightning strikes can throw people up to several meters.

According to Dr. Nguyen Thong – former head of Burns Department, Saint Paul General Hospital, Hanoi, lightning strikes are like burns caused by electric shock. Victims of lightning strikes are often severely burned. Lightning strikes are much more dangerous than electric shocks because they are considered super high voltage currents. Therefore, most lightning victims die.

In addition, lightning strikes ordinary people in a situation in the middle of a deserted place, under a tree, next to an electric pole, not in a community where there are many people. Therefore, most lightning victims receive little first aid.

Burns caused by lightning are treated like electric burns, many patients have to cut the skin, skin grafts. First aid for victims of lightning strikes must first determine the emergency to stop the patient’s circulation.

Lightning strike on May 12 in Thai Thuy, Thai Binh.

Vietnam is a tropical country, so thunderstorms and thunder occur a lot. According to statistics, every year our country has about 100 days with thunderstorms accompanied by thunder. Annual thunderstorm hours amount to 250 with more than 2 million lightning strikes. Every year around the world, more than 2,000 people die from lightning strikes.

First aid like?

According to Dr. Huynh Ba Tan, the emergency center 115 HCMC lightning is a multi-traumatic situation, because in addition to the factor that the victim can have a cardiac arrest, there is also the risk of many other injuries such as burns, cervical spinal cord injury. , weak nerve, lung damage, fracture, dislocation, internal bleeding, …

Multiple trauma is a situation in which a patient has 2 or more severe injuries in different body regions or organ systems, of which at least 1 is life-threatening.

These lesions are often very complicated, with a lot of blood loss, and the patient is at risk of impaired consciousness and circulatory failure.

When someone is struck by lightning, first call 911. If the victim is still awake, just keep warm, drink a little alcohol (about 20ml) and hot sugar tea. Then take to the nearest medical facility for timely emergency treatment.

For a comatose victim, first responders need to check to see if the victim is breathing. If breathing stops immediately perform CPR by the following method:
– Place the victim in a supine position.

– Conduct mouth-to-mouth respiratory resuscitation: Cover the victim’s nose with your hand, take a deep breath, then close the victim’s mouth, blow a long breath and then let go to let the victim breathe normally. Continue doing this about 2 times.

– Chest compressions and compressions continuously about 30 times with a frequency of about 100 times/minute
– Alternately give chest compressions with the rate of 2 breaths, 30 times of chest compressions until medical staff come to assist.

– After giving first aid and first aid to the victim, it is necessary to quickly bring the victim to the nearest medical facility. Note, safely transport multi-trauma patients after securing the airway, firmly immobilizing the cervical spine and fractures, having at least 2 lines, and attaching a monitor to monitor stable vital signs within range. control. Check every 5 minutes during patient transport to hospital.

To prevent lightning strikes, Dr. Thong added that it is best to limit going out when the weather has thunderstorms accompanied by thunder. People who are working outdoors should find safe shelter, avoid standing under trees, electricity poles and telephone transceivers.

If you can’t get to a safe place in time, you should hide in the lowest place, crouch and put your feet together, to find a safe, dry place, preferably a large building (if any). Never use your phone while outdoors with thunder.

If at home, it is raining, so unplug the circuit breaker, unplug all the power sockets to avoid high voltage damage to items, house fire ..

Khanh Chi