Sunnybrook Foundation

There is no centre of expertise in Canada for individuals who have sustained an electrical injury.  Health care providers across the country work in isolation and usually focus on the management of the immediate physical symptoms of the injury.  They may be unaware of the potential physical and non-physical long-term effects which can effect initial care efforts.  It is difficult for health care providers to develop and maintain expertise in this area due to the relatively low incidence and prevalence of electrical injuries.  Research also indicates that workers are not necessarily provided with the comprehensive assessment, treatment and/or follow-up that can facilitate an earlier return to work or return of function.

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, through Dr. Joel Fish, Medical Director at the Ross Tiley Burn Centre, has been working with Hydro One to provide such a resource on an unofficial basis.  Dr. Fish and Hydro One have promoted the ability to transfer seriously burned patients to the Ross Tiley Burn Centre from other health care centres in Ontario and consult as needed across the country.

Electrical injuries are devastating in many ways: the most serious cases have immediate and often deadly outcomes; the less severe cases often hide damage and leads to a very high proporation of cases that result in permanent disability.  In addition to burns, amputations, and trauma-related injuries, functions that can be affected include cogniton, mood, behaviour, cardiac performance, orthopaedic status, and sleep.

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