Immediate steps

1. Do not touch the child if they're still in contact with the electrical source. You could be shocked too and become a second casualty.
2. Cut the power first — unplug the device, turn off the breaker/mains switch, or unplug the cord. If you can't reach the switch, use a dry, non-metallic object (wooden broom handle, plastic chair, rolled cardboard) to push or pull the source away from the child. Never use anything metal or wet.
3. Once the child is free of the current, check responsiveness, breathing, and pulse.
   • If not breathing or no pulse: start CPR immediately and continue until help arrives.
   • If breathing and has a pulse but unresponsive: place in the recovery position.
4. Minimize movement of the child if there's any chance of a fall or associated injury (electric shocks can cause muscle contractions violent enough to cause fractures, including spinal injury) — move only if necessary for safety or CPR.
5. Do not apply anything to burns (no ointments, ice, or butter) and don't give food or water while awaiting evaluation.
6. Note details that will help the medical team: voltage/source (household outlet/cord vs. high-voltage line), duration of contact, whether water was involved, any fall, loss of consciousness, or seizure-like activity.

Get emergency medical evaluation even if the child "seems fine"

• Loss of consciousness, confusion, or seizure at any point
• Any breathing difficulty or abnormal heart rhythm/palpitations
• Contact with a high-voltage source (power lines, outside the home) — these carry much higher risk of deep tissue and cardiac injury
• Wet/immersion exposure (bath, pool) — low resistance can make even low-voltage shocks dangerous
• Visible burns (entry/exit wounds, mouth burns from chewing a cord), numbness, weakness, or pain
• Any fall or suspected injury from being thrown by the shock

What medical teams actually give — and why you shouldn't improvise this at home

• Given for burns/muscle pain once the child is medically evaluated — typically IV opioids for significant burns, or acetaminophen/ibuprofen for minor pain. Dosing is weight-based and determined by the treating physician, not something to guess at home.

• If there's a significant burn or muscle injury (rhabdomyolysis/myoglobinuria from electrical current), IV crystalloid fluids are given to keep urine output high (about 1.5-2 mL/kg/hr in young children) to protect the kidneys from myoglobin damage. This requires IV access and monitoring — not something done at home.

• If there's any skin burn/wound and the child's tetanus vaccination isn't up to date, a tetanus booster (and tetanus immune globulin if severely under-immunized) is given as part of wound care.

• If the ECG shows a dangerous rhythm, treatment follows standard ACLS/pediatric advanced life support protocols (i.e., specific antiarrhythmics or defibrillation as indicated) — this is only administered by trained providers with monitoring, never given empirically.

• If blood tests show elevated potassium (from muscle breakdown) or other abnormalities, these are corrected in hospital with appropriate IV therapy.

What you should actually do right now

• Do not give any medication (including over-the-counter pain relievers) until the child has been medically assessed — it can mask symptoms or complicate the picture the ED team needs to see clearly.
• Do not apply ointments, ice, or home remedies to any burns.
• Get the child to emergency care so they can get an ECG, wound/burn assessment, and blood work — this determines whether any of the above treatments are even needed. Even low-voltage household shocks warrant evaluation because internal effects (heart rhythm, muscle injury) aren't always visible externally.