THE DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF LIGHTNING INJURIES AMONG RESIDENTS IN A RURAL AREA IN SRI LANKA

Background: Lightning occurs most commonly in the tropical countries, yet due to under-reporting of data, both developed and developing countries didn?t aware the actual problem. Thus, proper reporting and management of the victims related to lighting are crucial. Aim and Objective: To describe the distribution and characteristics of the lightning-related lifetime injuries among residents in a rural area in Sri Lanka Methods: Weconducteda cross-sectional survey among 510 residents in the Medical Officer of Health area, Kiriella. Among them, we selected residents who reported the lightning-related lifetime injuries and interviewed them using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Results: The lightning-related lifetime injuries were 18 (3.6%). Among the victims, 12 (66.7%) were males, and 6 (33.3%) were females. Most (n=13, 72.2%) were 18 to 45 years of age, when injured to lightning. Eight (44.4%) lightning strikes happened during the period from 2004 to 2013, and most of the lightning-related injuries were reported from noon to evening (n=10, 55.6%). The most (n=9, 50.0%) affected body part was the head. Males were 1.34 times increased risk for lightning compared to females (Relative risk 1.34, 95% confidence interval 0.51-3.50). Further, residents of age 18 to 45 years were highly vulnerable to lightning (Relative risk 3.07, 95% confidence interval 1.11-8.49). Conclusions:Lightning-related injuries are more common among younger males in the selected rural area in Sri Lanka. Therefore it is recommended to conduct awareness programmes on preventive measures among at-risk population and to introduce protective measures at residences to mitigate the loss and damage.