A 37-Year-Old Man Is Found Unresponsive Under a Tree During

question 781

Multiple Choice

A 37-year-old man is found unresponsive under a tree during a thunderstorm.  He is not breathing when paramedics arrive on the scene.  On examination, his pupils are fixed and dilated.  Several cutaneous erythematous marks in a fern-leaf pattern are seen on his lower extremities.  Second-degree burns are present on both arms.  Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is started; however, the patient does not respond and is pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.  Which of the following is most likely to be the primary cause of his death?

• A)Cardiac arrhythmia
• B)Extensive deep-tissue burns
• C)Intracranial hemorrhage
• D)Myocardial contusion
• E)Pulmonary barotrauma