Which current level is typically associated with paralysis of breathing?

Which current level is typically associated with paralysis of breathing?

• A. 0.5 milliamp
• B. 2-10 milliamps
• C. 25 milliamps
• D. 100 milliamps

Answer: (D)

When electric current passes through the body, its effects depend on how much current, where it travels, and how long it flows. Small currents are felt as tingling, and higher currents cause increasingly strong muscle contractions. But breathing is controlled by the diaphragm and chest muscles, so it takes a fairly large current to overpower those muscles and cause respiratory paralysis. Around 100 milliamps of alternating current through the chest is typically enough to stop breathing and can also trigger dangerous heart effects. That’s why this level is the one most commonly associated with paralysis of breathing. Smaller currents may be painful or cause involuntary muscle responses, but they don’t reliably stop respiration.

When electric current passes through the body, its effects depend on how much current, where it travels, and how long it flows. Small currents are felt as tingling, and higher currents cause increasingly strong muscle contractions. But breathing is controlled by the diaphragm and chest muscles, so it takes a fairly large current to overpower those muscles and cause respiratory paralysis. Around 100 milliamps of alternating current through the chest is typically enough to stop breathing and can also trigger dangerous heart effects. That’s why this level is the one most commonly associated with paralysis of breathing. Smaller currents may be painful or cause involuntary muscle responses, but they don’t reliably stop respiration.