A 26-year-old electrician is found unconscious in his backyard beside a metal ladder and an exposed electrical wire, suffering from a deep burn on his right hand. Resuscitation attempts are unsuccessful. Which of the following was the most likely cause of death?

Electrical energy disrupts the electrical system within the heart and frequently causes death through ventricular fibrillation. The force produced by high-voltage currents vaporizes tissue water and produces extensive damage. The other choices are not consequences of powerful electrical currents. Although myocardial infarction (choice C) can cause an immediate arrhythmia, it reflects obstruction of the coronary circulation.Diagnosis: Electrical injury, cardiac arrhythmia