What amount of current flow through the human body can cause shock that may cause you to go into cardiac arrest?

What amount of current flow through the human body can cause shock that may cause you to go into cardiac arrest?

• A. 50 milliamperes or more
• B. 5 milliamperes
• C. 500 microamperes
• D. 1 ampere

Answer: (A)

When current passes through the chest, it can interfere with the heart’s electrical activity. At around fifty milliamperes or more, especially with alternating current, the heart can be driven into ventricular fibrillation, a chaotic rhythm that often leads to cardiac arrest if the circuit isn’t broken quickly. Smaller currents, on the order of a few milliamperes, may cause a noticeable shock or a sudden muscle jerk but typically don’t stop the heart. Much larger currents, such as about an ampere, are highly dangerous and can be fatal. The actual risk depends on the path the current takes through the body, how long contact lasts, and the current’s frequency, with AC being particularly hazardous for the heart. That threshold—around fifty milliamperes or more—explains why this level is associated with the potential for cardiac arrest.

When current passes through the chest, it can interfere with the heart’s electrical activity. At around fifty milliamperes or more, especially with alternating current, the heart can be driven into ventricular fibrillation, a chaotic rhythm that often leads to cardiac arrest if the circuit isn’t broken quickly. Smaller currents, on the order of a few milliamperes, may cause a noticeable shock or a sudden muscle jerk but typically don’t stop the heart. Much larger currents, such as about an ampere, are highly dangerous and can be fatal. The actual risk depends on the path the current takes through the body, how long contact lasts, and the current’s frequency, with AC being particularly hazardous for the heart. That threshold—around fifty milliamperes or more—explains why this level is associated with the potential for cardiac arrest.