Respiratory Effect of Prolonged Electrical Weapon Application on Human Volunteers

Ho, Jeffrey D.; Dawes, Donald M.; Bultman, Laura L.; Thacker, Jenny L.; Skinner, Lisa D.; Bahr, Jennifer M.; Johnson, Mark; Miner, James R.

doi:10.1111/j.1553-2712.2007.tb01772.x

Cited by 48 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…For example, Jauchem et al 15 showed that a swine model fails to breathe during ECD application. A study by Ho et al in 2007 16 demonstrated that this does not occur when nonsedated, unanesthetized human subjects are used. The study by Jauchem et al initially led many to believe that ECDs might be causally linked to induction of sudden death due to asphyxia.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Echocardiographic Evaluation of a TASER‐X26 Application in the Ideal Human Cardiac Axis

Dawes

Reardon

et al. 2008

Academic Emergency Medicine

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Objectives: TASER electronic control devices (ECDs) are used by law enforcement to subdue aggressive persons. Some deaths temporally proximate to their use have occurred. There is speculation that these devices can cause dangerous cardiac rhythms. Swine research supports this hypothesis and has reported significant tachyarrhythmias. It is not known if this occurs in humans. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of tachyarrhythmias in human subjects subjected to an ECD application.Methods: This was a prospective, nonblinded study. Human volunteers underwent limited echocardiography before, during, and after a 10-second TASER X26 ECD application with preplaced thoracic electrodes positioned in the upper right sternal border and the cardiac apex. Images were analyzed using M-mode through the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve for evidence of arrhythmia. Heart rate (HR) and the presence of sinus rhythm were determined. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: A total of 34 subjects were enrolled. There were no adverse events reported. The mean HR prior to starting the event was 108.7 beats ⁄ min (range 65 to 146 beats ⁄ min, 95% CI = 101.0 to 116.4 beats ⁄ min). During the ECD exposure, the mean HR was 120.1 beats ⁄ min (range 70 to 158 beats ⁄ -min, 95% CI = 112.2 to 128.0 beats ⁄ min) and a mean of 94.1 beats ⁄ min (range 55 to 121 beats ⁄ min, 95% CI = 88.4 to 99.7 beats ⁄ min) at 1 minute after ECD exposure. Sinus rhythm was clearly demonstrated in 21 (61.7%) subjects during ECD exposure (mean HR 121.4 beats ⁄ min; range 75 to 158 beats ⁄ min, 95% CI = 111.5 to 131.4). Sinus rhythm was not clearly demonstrated in 12 subjects due to movement artifact (mean HR 117.8 beats ⁄ min, range 70 to 152 beats ⁄ min, 95% CI = 102.8 to 132.8 beats ⁄ min).Conclusions: A 10-second ECD exposure in an ideal cardiac axis application did not demonstrate concerning tachyarrhythmias using human models. The swine model may have limitations when evaluating ECD technology.ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2008; 15:838-844 ª

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Echocardiographic Evaluation of a TASER‐X26 Application in the Ideal Human Cardiac Axis

Dawes

Reardon

et al. 2008

Academic Emergency Medicine

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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%

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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“…Although decreased respiration can be produced in animals under some experimental conditions, however, the validity of translating these results to human subjects is unknown. In contrast with the anesthetized swine experiments, Ho et al 66,67 found that conscious humans were able to breathe during some ECD exposures, including those of relatively long duration. While some investigators have suggested that death in excited delirium could be due to respiratory arrest (rather than cardiac arrest), 68 this has never been proven.…”

Section: Respirationmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…33 Results not verified in humans 66,67 Respiratory arrest required for diagnosis. 14,15 Rhabdomyolysis, with release of muscle enzymes " In blood myoglobin, even with low amount of exposure.…”

Section: Respiratory Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deaths in custody: Are some due to electronic control devices (including TASER® devices) or excited delirium?

Jauchem

2010

Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine

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a b s t r a c tDeaths have occurred after law-enforcement incidents involving applications of electronic control devices (ECDs) (including TASER Ò devices). An ''excited delirium" syndrome (reported in the literature prior to the development of ECDs currently in use), however, includes several factors that may be related to such deaths in custody. In this review, potential detrimental effects of ECDs are compared with possible changes due to excited delirium. Although extreme (i.e., long-duration or repeated) exposures to ECDs can result in significant hyperkalaemia, acidaemia, and myoglobinemia in animal models, limited applications (such as those normally used in law-enforcement situations) would appear to have only transient effects. In addition, the hyperthermia observed in patients with excited delirium does not seem to be directly exacerbated by ECD applications. ECD use is unlikely to be a common cause of ventricular fibrillation, but other events that are generally associated with excited delirium (e.g., drug use) may be related to subsequent ventricular fibrillation or asystole. Metabolic or respiratory acidosis may only be serious consequences of long-duration or repeated ECD applications. On the basis of current available information, factors other than ECDs themselves may be more important when death occurs after the use of ECDs.

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Respiratory Effect of Prolonged Electrical Weapon Application on Human Volunteers

Abstract: Prolonged CEW application did not impair respiratory parameters in this population of volunteers. Further study is recommended to validate these findings in other populations.

Cited by 48 publications

References 6 publications

Echocardiographic Evaluation of a TASER‐X26 Application in the Ideal Human Cardiac Axis

Echocardiographic Evaluation of a TASER‐X26 Application in the Ideal Human Cardiac Axis

Physiologic Effects of the TASER After Exercise

Deaths in custody: Are some due to electronic control devices (including TASER® devices) or excited delirium?

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