Electrocution is a type of electric shock that, as determined by a stopped heart, can end life. Electrocution is frequently used to refer to any electric shock received but is technically incorrect; the choice of definition varies from dictionary to dictionary.[1][2] However, in the vernacular, the term electrocution is used to mean:
- death, murder or a sudden accident caused by an electric shock.
- deliberate execution by means of an electric shock, such as an electric chair; the word "electrocution" is a portmanteau for "electrical execution".
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Death can occur from any shock that carries enough current. Small currents (70–700 mA) usually trigger fibrillation in the heart which is reversible via defibrillator, but large currents (> 1 A) cause permanent damage via burns, and cellular damage. The heart is most devastated by foreign electricity, next is the brain.[citation needed] Women are more susceptible to macroshock electrocution than men, but men are equally susceptible to microshock electrocution.[citation needed]
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