and the damage runs its course throughout the body. Exterior injuries are misleading as most of the damage occurs underneath the skin. In this case, subdermal tissues are severely damaged. Arc burn. This type of burn occurs when electrical energy passes from a high-resistance area to a low-resistance area. No contact is required with an arc burn as the electricity ionizes air particles to complete the circuit. The heat generated can be as high as hotter than the boiling points of several metals and certainly hot enough to ignite a victim's clothing. A form of explosion dissipates excess energy from the arc. In addition, a high-current arc can produce a pressure wave blast in excess of of pressure. This can throw the victim and cause severe injuries. Flash burn. Flash burns are caused by electrical arcs that pass over the skin. The intense heat and light of an arc flash can cause severe burns in a fraction of a second. Although the burns can cover a large area of skin, they are largely superficial and the tissues beneath the skin are generally undamaged and unaffected. This typically occurs when the frequency of the AC current is significantly higher than the 50 or 60 Hz used in land-based electrical distribution systems (such as in aircraft). Flame burn. Flame burns are caused by contact to objects that were ignited by an electrical source when associated with flash and arc burns. Oral burns. This is caused by biting or sucking on electrical cords, and it most commonly happens to children. Electric current typically passes from one side of the child's mouth to the other, possibly causing deformity. Pathophysiology Four electrical factors determine the severity of the damage caused by electrical burns: voltage, current, resistance, and frequency. The severity of the burn also depends on the pathway the current takes through the body. Generally, the pathway of the current will follow the course of the least resistant tissues: firstly blood vessels, nerves, and muscle, then skin, tendon, fat, and bone. Most commonly, electric injuries primarily damage the outer limbs, but more critical portions of the body may be affected as well causing severe complications. As the body comes into contact with an electrical source, it becomes part of the electrical circuit. As such, the current has a point of entry and an exit at two different points on the body. The point of entry