[Profuse hemorrhage from the axillary artery in electric burn: prevention and treatment].

A total of 53 cases of electric burns were admitted to our unit during the 1977-1985 period. In 19 cases an upper limb was involved, accounting 35.8 percent of the total. In 15 cases disarticulation of the shoulder was done, and in 3 of them a profuse hemorrhage from the axillary artery occurred as a result of infection of the amputation stumps. The second segment of the axillary artery was ligated during the amputations in the other 4 cases, no hemorrhage occurred in them.