Electrical injuries of the upper extremity.

Although electrical burns of the upper extremity comprise a small percentage of all thermal injuries, they present formidable clinical problems. The physician must not be lulled into a false sense of security because the visible cutaneous burn is not great. Sound surgical principles, such as the control of bacterial proliferation with topical chemotherapy, débridement of dead tissue, and timely wound closure, in conjunction with the expertise necessary in caring for thermally injured patients, are necessary for a maximally rehabilitated patient.