How can some people survive a lightning strike?

How can some people survive a lightning strike?

• A. It passes through the body
• B. It flashes over the skin
• C. It shorts circuits the heart
• D. It causes only minor burns with no systemic effects

Answer: (B)

During a lightning strike, what happens to the current determines how badly organs are affected. A surface flashover occurs when the discharge travels along the outside of the body or clothing instead of diving into the deeper tissues. Because the skin and clothing act as barriers and the current takes the path of least resistance along the surface, the heart and other internal organs can be spared, allowing survival in many cases. This surface route minimizes the likelihood of life‑threatening arrhythmias or respiratory arrest that would occur if the current passed through the body. The other possibilities describe injury patterns that are more dangerous or not consistent with survival. If the current goes through the body, it can disrupt the heart or lungs; that’s far more likely to be fatal. Saying it causes only minor burns with no systemic effects ignores the potential for serious neurological or cardiac injury. And while superficial burns can occur, relying on “only minor burns” as the survival mechanism isn’t accurate, because systemic effects can still arise even with limited skin burns.

During a lightning strike, what happens to the current determines how badly organs are affected. A surface flashover occurs when the discharge travels along the outside of the body or clothing instead of diving into the deeper tissues. Because the skin and clothing act as barriers and the current takes the path of least resistance along the surface, the heart and other internal organs can be spared, allowing survival in many cases. This surface route minimizes the likelihood of life‑threatening arrhythmias or respiratory arrest that would occur if the current passed through the body.

The other possibilities describe injury patterns that are more dangerous or not consistent with survival. If the current goes through the body, it can disrupt the heart or lungs; that’s far more likely to be fatal. Saying it causes only minor burns with no systemic effects ignores the potential for serious neurological or cardiac injury. And while superficial burns can occur, relying on “only minor burns” as the survival mechanism isn’t accurate, because systemic effects can still arise even with limited skin burns.