Physiological Effects of a Conducted Electrical Weapon on Human Subjects

Vilke, Gary M.; Sloane, Christian; Bouton, Katie D.; Kolkhorst, Fred W.; Levine, Saul V.; Neuman, Tom S.; Castillo, Edward M.; Chan, Theodore C.

doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2007.05.004

Cited by 85 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…In this study there were no positive troponins at 6 h and no ischemic changes or arrhythmias on surface electrocardiogram. There was a change in pH from 7.45 to 7.42 at 1-minute after the 5-second discharge in this study, and lactate increased from 1.4 to 2.8 [9]. Other studies have shown no evidence of cardiac injury or arrhythmias based on troponin and surface electrocardiogram [10][11][12][13][14][15].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

The cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic effects of a long duration electronic control device exposure in human volunteers

Dawes

Reardon

et al. 2010

Forensic Sci Med Pathol

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Electronic control devices (ECD) have become popular in law enforcement because they have filled a gap left by other law enforcement devices, tactics, or tools and have been shown to reduce officer and suspect injuries. Civilians are using the same technology for defensive purposes. TASER C2 is the latest generation civilian-marketed device from the manufacturer. Unlike the law enforcement devices, the device discharges for 30 s continuously. This study is the first to look at the cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic effects of this device on human subjects. This was a prospective, observational study of human subjects involved in a training course. Subjects were exposed for 30 s on the anterior thorax. Vital signs, ECG, troponin I, pH, lactate, and creatine kinase (CK) were measured before and immediately after the exposure. Troponin I, pH, lactate, and CK were measured again 24 h after the exposure. Continuous spirometry was used to evaluate the respiratory effects. Echocardiography was also performed before, during, and immediately after the exposure to determine heart rate and rhythm. Eleven subjects completed the study. There were no clinically important electrocardiogram changes and no positive troponins. Spirometry showed an increase in minute ventilation during the exposure. There was no important change in CK at 24 h. Lactate was slightly higher and pH was slightly lower after the exposure, but similar to the effects of physical exertion. Echocardiography was performed in 6 subjects. In half of these subjects, the rhythm was determined to be "sinus" and in the other half the rhythm was indeterminant. In our study, the civilian device caused a mild lactic acidosis. No other important physiologic effects were found.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

The cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic effects of a long duration electronic control device exposure in human volunteers

Dawes

Reardon

et al. 2010

Forensic Sci Med Pathol

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“…[15][16][17][27][28][29][30][31] Our study is unique in that it was non-industry funded and examined specifically physiologic metabolic blood and ventilatory parameters in humans prospectively, both without and following exercise.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…13 If a lethal dysrhythmia, particularly ventricular fibrillation, was the result of the electrical discharge, cardiac arrest would be expected to occur at the time of the TASER activation. However, if individuals were under the influence of sympathomimetic drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, or PCP, or were having a clinical presentation compatible with excited delirium, other important clinically significant physiologic aberrations might hypothetically contribute to these sudden deaths As the metabolic and ventilatory effects of a TASER exposure have been previously limited in humans, [14][15][16][17] the aim of this study was to investigate the extent of physiological stress following exposure to the TASER X26. We monitored cardiorespiratory and several blood parameters in police officer volunteers before, during, and after a 5-second TASER exposure following vigorous exercise.…”

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confidence: 99%

Physiologic Effects of the TASER After Exercise

Vilke

Sloane

Suffecool

et al. 2009

Academic Emergency Medicine

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Objectives: Incidents of sudden death following TASER exposure are poorly studied, and substantive links between TASER exposure and sudden death are minimal. The authors studied the effects of a single TASER exposure on markers of physiologic stress in humans.Methods: This prospective, controlled study evaluated the effects of a TASER exposure on healthy police volunteers after vigorous exercise, compared to a subsequent, identical exercise session that was not followed by TASER exposure. Subjects exercised to 85% of predicted heart rate (HR) on an ergometer and then were given a standard 5-second TASER activation. Measures before and for 60 minutes after the TASER activation included minute ventilation, tidal volume, respiratory rate, end-tidal pCO 2 , oxygen saturation, HR, blood pressure (systolic BP ⁄ diastolic BP), 12-lead electrocardiogram, and arterialized blood for pH, pO 2 , pCO 2 , and lactate. Each subject repeated the exercise and data collection session on a subsequent data, without TASER activation. Data were analyzed using paired Student's t-tests with differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Statistical significance was adjusted for multiple comparisons.Results: A total of 25 officers (21 men and 4 women) completed both portions of the study. After adjusting for multiple comparisons, the TASER group was significantly higher for systolic BP at baseline (difference of 14.1, 95% CI = 8.7 to 19.5, p < 0.001) and HR at 5, 30, and 60 minutes with the largest difference at 30 minutes (difference of 7.0, 95% CI = 2.5 to 11.5, p = 0.004). There were no other significant differences between the two groups in any other measure at any time.Conclusions: A 5-second exposure of a TASER following vigorous exercise to healthy law enforcement personnel does not result in clinically significant changes in ventilatory or blood parameters of physiologic stress.ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2009; 16:704-710 ª

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“…7,23,24 Similarly, neither ventricular capture nor dysrhythmias have been observed in healthy human volunteers exposed to brief (2-5 seconds) Taser X26 discharges delivered primarily to the subject's dorsum. [25][26][27] However, in swine models, Webster et al, 28 Nanthakumar et al, 16 and our group 17,18 have shown cardiac rhythm capture and even fatal dysrhythmias after Taser X26 discharges. Interestingly, recent data from pacemakers implanted in swine and in humans exposed to Taser discharges have clearly demonstrated cardiac dysrhythmias or capture during discharges.…”

Section: Conclusion: For Most Transcardiacmentioning

confidence: 99%