Shocked by 277

Thread Starter

JR3300

Joined May 25, 2010
9
Hello guys. Recently I was working on a project and was electricuted for 3 seconds of 277. It was extremely painful and, thank God, the breaker tripped knocking out 9 2*4 layin ceiling lights.
My question is what are some immediate symptoms and what can be some longterm effects?
 

Bychon

Joined Mar 12, 2010
469
You just changed from an electronic question to a medical question. Not being a doctor, I can only say that if you lived, your heart is still working, but you might have some effects caused by cooking nerves or muscles. Yes, they actually cook. If you have nerve symptoms, go see a real doctor! If you feel like you've been poisoned, that is a symptom of dead muscle tissue. Go see a real doctor.
 

BMorse

Joined Sep 26, 2009
2,675
I haven't had any long term side effects and I have been electrocuted with up to 480 VAC...... the immediate side effects I am sure you already know from the pain.. do you have any burn marks where the power entered and exited??.. you were just lucky enough that it didn't hurt you more than what it did, this should be a lesson in working with AC power (or any other power source!), always make sure power is off before servicing any electrical appliance, even if it is just a light fixture.....



B. Morse
 

Thread Starter

JR3300

Joined May 25, 2010
9
Thanks Bychon, the electricity conducted through a metal stud that I was pressing my chest up against. When I pushed my materials over these wires, left uncapped, fell onto the stud and proceeded to shock the living crap out of me.
I spoke breifly with some electricians today and they say that I may loose some taste and smell. My tongue has not felt the same since the shock and at times I have strange lower back pain...usually caused by heavy lifting but in this case more frequently...without heavy lifting since the shock.
 

Thread Starter

JR3300

Joined May 25, 2010
9
No entry or exit wounds Bmorse, I was standing about 6 ft up on an 8 ft fiberglass ladder.
I've experienced 110, it felt like a squirel knarling on my finger while shaking its head. I've heard that 480 doesn't hold you but instead throws you, but I KNOW 277 holds you while it pulses through your body at incredible speeds. It is very painful and it makes you feel very small.
 

Thread Starter

JR3300

Joined May 25, 2010
9
I haven't had any long term side effects and I have been electrocuted with up to 480 VAC...... the immediate side effects I am sure you already know from the pain.. do you have any burn marks where the power entered and exited??.. you were just lucky enough that it didn't hurt you more than what it did, this should be a lesson in working with AC power (or any other power source!), always make sure power is off before servicing any electrical appliance, even if it is just a light fixture.....




B. Morse
Lesson learned...believe me. The only problem is, I'm an HVAC guy, not an electrician. There was an electrician not even 10 ft away installing a wall plug who did see me and my partner go up to work and didn't bother to warn us of dangling wires, nor were any wirenuts placed over these wires.
 

retched

Joined Dec 5, 2009
5,207
You need to be examined by a doctor.

Chest electrocution can lead to pericardial "cooking".

The pericardium is the sack that surrounds your heart. If you have any burnt tissue that is in the process of dying, the pressures created in the sack during heart beats can lead to a rupture in the weakened tissue.

Three seconds is a very, very long time to be electrocuted.

The important thing is to get medical attention. As the tissue continues to breakdown, different chemicals can flood you system.

The pain in your back if most likely NOT muscular but renal.
As your kidneys will try to filter out the toxins produced by the damaged tissues.

I would urge you to stay completely hydrated and inspect your urine. If you notice a darker than normal color to your urine, time is of the essence.

If your back pain increases, or palpating the areas lead to tenderness, get moving.

It is very difficult to convince yourself that things are bad because you see nothing.

I think you feel something is wrong, and that is why you are presenting your questions here.

I would say 99% of the people that have experienced electric shocks have been in and out, appendage types. Chest shocks at that voltage and amperage is no joke.

This can likely all be covered by the electricians insurance.
 

BMorse

Joined Sep 26, 2009
2,675
Lesson learned...believe me. The only problem is, I'm an HVAC guy, not an electrician. There was an electrician not even 10 ft away installing a wall plug who did see me and my partner go up to work and didn't bother to warn us of dangling wires, nor were any wirenuts placed over these wires.

I hope he was a licensed electrician, and if he is, he needs to go back to re learn some lessons in safety... But I would suggest going to see an actual physician if you are experiencing any discomfort that is "out of the norm", better to have him/her make the proper diagnosis....

B. Morse
 

someonesdad

Joined Jul 7, 2009
1,583
JR3300: you definitely want to go see a doctor -- don't let some macho feeling that you're OK (or comments by electricians that it's no big deal) tell you otherwise. There are two main reasons: you probably had a near brush with death and you may have injuries you don't know about (just as the other posts have alerted you to). Just as importantly, if there are some injuries and you wait or ignore them, you might jeopardize your ability to be covered by your work insurance, workman's comp, whatever. And if you have others depending on you (e.g., family), you'd be doubly foolish to ignore sound medical advice.
 

t06afre

Joined May 11, 2009
5,934
You should see a doctor. Just to get things documented.
In some cases a current may cause neural damage. But since you had no burns that is a good sign. Besides the current magnitude, the current path is also important. Besides the heart, that is very sensitive to electrical current. The tissue in the brain and spine are more sensitive to electrical current than other types tissues. It is routine in many operations to use electricity to cut tissue and stop bleedings. Just think about that fact
Your lower back pain could be that you during the shock, stretched some muscular tissue. And I also do not think from your symptoms that either your brain or spine was affected by this shock.
 

cjdelphi

Joined Mar 26, 2009
272
lol, i just got back and read this, I just discharged an entire 340v 240nf cap and well I got a little burnt... luckily for me, it only lasted like 10ms if that, but the weird sensation was not only did i get shocked where i touched, i also felt an electric shock from my other hand which happened to be touching some metal lol (2 shocks! or is it 1)
 

Thread Starter

JR3300

Joined May 25, 2010
9
I am going back to speak to a doctor and I thank you guys for filling me in on what to look for. I'm gonna have him check out my nerves, my back and my heart. It's not enough to get an ekg.
 

Thread Starter

JR3300

Joined May 25, 2010
9
lol, i just got back and read this, I just discharged an entire 340v 240nf cap and well I got a little burnt... luckily for me, it only lasted like 10ms if that, but the weird sensation was not only did i get shocked where i touched, i also felt an electric shock from my other hand which happened to be touching some metal lol (2 shocks! or is it 1)
Cj, what does it feel like to be hit by 340? Did you see a doctor?
 

BMorse

Joined Sep 26, 2009
2,675
lol, i just got back and read this, I just discharged an entire 340v 240nf cap and well I got a little burnt... luckily for me, it only lasted like 10ms if that, but the weird sensation was not only did i get shocked where i touched, i also felt an electric shock from my other hand which happened to be touching some metal lol (2 shocks! or is it 1)

The reason you felt 2 shocks is because it went in one hand traveled through your body to the other hand and exited there.... You are very lucky it did not stop your heart.....

B. Morse
 

hspalm

Joined Feb 17, 2010
201
About a year ago I experienced something similar, servicing the temperature regulator on my bathroom underfloor heating. The current ran trough my left arm and out my right leg, wich was grounded in some iron shoe racks. The skin on my leg where it touched the shoe rack was melted in an area of about 1 square inch! An electrician friend told me to hurry to the hospital where they measured my heartbeat rate ++ every hour trough the whole night. I was left for observation among dying elderly people and drunks puking, I will go to a private emergency room next time something happens to me.
 

retched

Joined Dec 5, 2009
5,207
Tell you the truth, I would go which ever is closest.

The medical field and me are no strangers, both privately and and professionally.

There are some crap emergency rooms in crap city areas.. But they are all better than dead.

Puking drunks (which I have been) and elderly (which you will become unless you decide to take too long of a trip to a private ER) are a beautiful sight when you pull through.

The point is not which ER to go to NEXT time. The point is to be sure there IS no next time.

Look what happened to Jon Travoltas son Jett. He wanted to take Jett to a better hospital, delaying treatment that ANY hospital or even clinic could have given.

If you are dealing with something rare, and you have a choice, then by all means choose where to get treatment. But a standard, thousand times a day accident can be treated properly by just about any facility.

And If that facility cannot, they can stabilize and transport you.
 

cjdelphi

Joined Mar 26, 2009
272
Well, maybe i am lucky, it hurt like hell but only for a very short time, around 10ms range, no where near the OP's 3 seconds worth :O (way way more scary) I've touched 240vac mains a couple of times, makes your whole arm go numb...

The bang and quick discharge although briefly painful was over so quickly I was more in shock than anything, i could have sworn it was discharged (I was wrong) it was from an old Camera....

Lucky my heart never stopped?.... now you mention it never really stopped to consider that.... I look at the 60's 70's 80's with electric shock treatment, some died but the majority lived....

[Did i see a doctor? No It literally happened about 5 minutes before I read this post.... If not for this post i'd not even have mentioned I just did it.... ]
 

retched

Joined Dec 5, 2009
5,207
Consider all wires hypodermic needles. If you do not know where they came from, dont touch them without protection without finding out WHERE they come from.

A little prick of a hypodermic can give you the shock of your life when the test results show you've contracted a disease.

They can both either hurt ranging from a little more than annoying, to kill you dead.
 

Thread Starter

JR3300

Joined May 25, 2010
9
Well, maybe i am lucky, it hurt like hell but only for a very short time, around 10ms range, no where near the OP's 3 seconds worth :O (way way more scary) I've touched 240vac mains a couple of times, makes your whole arm go numb...

The bang and quick discharge although briefly painful was over so quickly I was more in shock than anything, i could have sworn it was discharged (I was wrong) it was from an old Camera....

Lucky my heart never stopped?.... now you mention it never really stopped to consider that.... I look at the 60's 70's 80's with electric shock treatment, some died but the majority lived....

[Did i see a doctor? No It literally happened about 5 minutes before I read this post.... If not for this post i'd not even have mentioned I just did
it.... ]
Sorry guys, but what are 10m's?
 
Top