When someone suffers an electrical shock, they actually are – at that moment – part of an electrical circuit. The severity of the injuries they sustain depends on three primary factors: the amount of current flowing through the body (measured in amperes); the path of the current through the body and the length of time the body is in the circuit.
Other factors that may affect the severity of the shock include the voltage of the current, whether or not there’s moisture in the immediate environment, the phase of the heart cycle when the shock occurs and the general health of the person who experiences the shock. Wet skin dramatically drops the body’s resistance. Under dry conditions, human skin is very resistant.