Iatrogenic Spark Burn Injury to the Chest From a Transcutaneous Pacing Patch

ABSTRACT

Iatrogenic electrical burns that occur from the use of a defibrillator, a paddle-type cardiac shock device, have been reported in various forms. Electrical burns are usually conducted directly through the skin and are more damaging than scald burns or contact burns. A transcutaneous cardiac pacing device is a patch-type cardiac shock device that automatically delivers a shock when an abnormal heart rhythm is detected. We introduce a unique case of iatrogenic electrical burns caused by the transcutaneous pacing patch of a cardiac shock device. Electrical energy was converted into a spark due to foreign bodies deposited around the patch, resulting in damage to the peripheral area of the skin.