What are the most common paths of current through the heart?

• A. Hand to head
• B. Hand to hand and hand to foot
• C. Hand to foot
• D. Foot to foot

Answer: (B)

Current through the heart usually happens when the electrical path crosses the chest. The most common dangerous routes are from hand to hand and from hand to foot. If you grab a live wire with one hand and touch another surface with the other hand, the current travels across the chest from arm to arm. If the current enters through a hand and exits through a foot (standing on a grounded surface or contacting another object), it also runs through the torso and across the heart. These routes cross the chest and put the heart at risk of serious disruption like ventricular fibrillation. Paths that go from foot to foot or that travel primarily through the head (hand to head) are less likely to force a path through the heart.