Taser Use in Restraint-Related Deaths

Strote, Jared; Hutson, H. Range

doi:10.1080/10903120600884863

Cited by 92 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…17,18 Most reported subjects were agitated young males, often chronic and acute users of stimulant or psychoactive drugs, who collapsed while being restrained. [19][20][21][22][23] A recent European publication confirms the international nature of this problem. 24 Initial studies focused on methods of restraining or subduing subjects, 17,23 providing few data regarding cardiac rhythms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, our subjects had demographic and drug-use profiles similar to those of subjects we excluded because of insufficient data, subjects identified by prospective study of nonfatal use of CEWs by law enforcement, 30,37 and subjects in prior reports of sudden deaths during law enforcement interactions-either associated 21 or unassociated with use of CEWs. 18,19,24 At autopsy, the overall incidence of moderate and marked heart disease was 45%, not statistically different from the 54% reported for subjects who died within 24 hours of CEW discharge 21 (p = 0.50). These considerations suggest that our subjects are in fact representative, but do not exclude undetected bias.…”

Section: Methods Of Identifying Subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Presenting Rhythm in Sudden Deaths Temporally Proximate to Discharge of TASER Conducted Electrical Weapons

Swerdlow

Fishbein²,

Chaman³

et al. 2009

Academic Emergency Medicine

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Objectives: Sudden deaths proximate to use of conducted electrical weapons (CEWs) have been attributed to cardiac electrical stimulation. The rhythm in death caused by rapid, cardiac electrical stimulation usually is ventricular fibrillation (VF); electrical stimulation has not been reported to cause asystole or pulseless electrical activity (PEA). The authors studied the presenting rhythms in sudden deaths temporally proximate to use of TASER CEWs to estimate the likelihood that these deaths could be caused by cardiac electrical stimulation.Methods: This was a retrospective review of CEW-associated, nontraumatic sudden deaths from 2001 to 2008. Emergency medical services (EMS), autopsy, and law enforcement reports were requested and analyzed. Subjects were included if they collapsed within 15 minutes of CEW discharge and the first cardiac arrest rhythm was reported.Results: Records for 200 cases were received. The presenting rhythm was reported for 56 of 118 subjects who collapsed within 15 minutes (47%). The rhythm was VF in four subjects (7%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3% to 17%) and bradycardia-asystole or PEA in 52 subjects (93%; 95% CI = 83% to 97%). None of the eight subjects who collapsed during electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring had VF. Only one subject (2%) collapsed immediately after CEW discharge. This was the only death typical of electrically induced VF (2%, 95% CI = 0% to 9%). An additional 4 subjects (7%) collapsed within 1 minute, and the remaining 51 subjects (91%) collapsed more than 1 minute later. The time from collapse to first recorded rhythm was 3 minutes or less in 35 subjects (62%) and 5 minutes or less in 43 subjects (77%). Conclusions:In sudden deaths proximate to CEW discharge, immediate collapse is unusual, and VF is an uncommon VF presenting rhythm. Within study limitations, including selection bias and the possibility that VF terminated before the presenting rhythm was recorded, these data do not support electrically induced VF as a common mechanism of these sudden deaths.ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2009; 16:726-739 ª

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methods Of Identifying Subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Presenting Rhythm in Sudden Deaths Temporally Proximate to Discharge of TASER Conducted Electrical Weapons

Swerdlow

Fishbein²,

Chaman³

et al. 2009

Academic Emergency Medicine

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“…In cases of recorded deaths, the mode of death had never been established, though a state of "excited delirium" has been reported. 21 However, excited delirium has not been listed as a cause of sudden cardiac death in the arrhythmia literature.…”

Section: Evidence That Stun Guns Cannot Stimulate the Heartmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cardiac stimulation with high voltage discharge from stun guns

Nanthakumar¹,

Massé²,

Umapathy³

et al. 2008

Canadian Medical Association Journal

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S tun guns are used to physically incapacitate a person by discharging controlled electrical energy into the body, thereby preventing effective muscular activity. Although the intention is to provide a safe means of subduing an uncooperative person, some studies have suggested that stun guns can stimulate cardiac muscle in addition to skeletal muscle, thus potentially promoting lethal cardiac arrhythmias. In this article, we review the scientific data about the direct effects of stun gun discharges on the heart during shock delivery. We discuss these issues in terms of electrostimulation and correlate them with theoretical and experimental data in the literature. We discuss the principles of cardiac stimulation from internal and external stimulation and examine the evidence for and against cardiac stimulation by stun gun discharges. Stun gun dischargesAn older method of stun guns application, called "drivestun," functioned like a cattle prod, which required direct contact between the electrodes of the source and the target. Stun guns are manufactured by different manufacturers (e.g., Aegis Industries, Stinger Systems, Taser International) and they operate under the general principle of high-voltage discharge with short pulse durations. However, their operation and shock charecteristics vary by manufacturer. For example, a recent model (X26, TASER International) feature 2 barbs attached to long copper wires that are rapidly propelled by compressed nitrogen and adhere to the target's skin or clothes. This stun gun generates an initial 3 microsecond electric pulse, which produces an electrical arc that creates a low-impedance pathway for electricity to reach the body with or without skin contact.1 The initial pulse is followed by longer pulses (100 microseconds) that deliver electrical energy to the target's body, which stimulates his or her nerves and skeletal muscles and results in incapacitation. This pattern is repeated at a frequency of 19 pulses per second. Incapacitation lasts for the duration of the discharge, which is typically 5 seconds but can be 15 seconds or longer if pressure on the trigger is maintained. The TASER X26 battery has the capacity to deliver up to 195 discharges of 5 seconds each, 1 which corresponds to a duration of over 15 minutes. Other devices that have been studied include the M26 (TASER International) and the MK63 Trident (Aegis Industries), which is a stun baton. Each of these devices uses high frequency electrical pulses to incapacitate the target. Method of stunningStunning can be attributed to 1 of 2 methods, which depend on the mode of application. In the "drive stun" method, the overwhelming factor is the creation of pain and hence compliance. The second method, in which electrodes are fired toward the target as projectiles, neuromuscular stimulation occurs over a larger area. In addition to pain, the device incapacitates the target by stimulating his or her motor nerves and muscles as well as sensory neurons. The duration and frequency of the pulses have been optimized to inc...

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“…1 Studies examining the safety of TASER use in healthy volunteers have suggested that the electrical current produced by such devices does not result in any sustained clinically significant cardiac, respiratory or physiologic stress. [2][3][4] Nevertheless, injuries 5,6 and deaths 7,8 have been reported with the use of TASERs. We report the case of a traumatic globe rupture and associated vitreous hemorrhage, retinal laceration and lid injury resulting from the use of a TASER by law enforcement officials.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ophthalmic injuries from a TASER

Han

Chopra

Carr

2009

CJEM

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ABSRACTThe TASER (TASER International) is an energy-conducting weapon, that is becoming more frequently used by law enforcement officials to subdue combative individuals. Though generally regarded as a safe alternative, the use of such weapons has been reported to cause serious injuries. We describe a case in which ocular injuries were sustained by impalement with a TASER dart. Emergency physicians should be aware of the potential for serious ophthalmic injuries from TASERs and how such injuries should be managed. RÉSUMÉLe pistolet TASER (TASER International) est une arme à impulsions électriques que les responsables de l'application de la loi utilisent de plus en plus fréquemment pour neutraliser les individus combatifs. Bien que l'emploi de cette arme soit généralement considéré comme une méthode d'immobilisation sûre, son déploiement a causé des traumatismes graves. Nous décrivons un cas de blessure oculaire par empalement du dard d'un pistolet paralysant. Les médecins d'urgence doivent être conscients de la possibilité de blessures oculaires graves que les pistolets TASER peuvent causer et savoir quelle est la prise en charge dans de tels cas.

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Taser Use in Restraint-Related Deaths

Abstract: This is the largest review of Taser-related fatalities reported in the medical literature. The findings are consistent with prior studies, suggesting a high frequency of restraint-related and excited delirium-related fatalities.

Cited by 92 publications

References 18 publications

Presenting Rhythm in Sudden Deaths Temporally Proximate to Discharge of TASER Conducted Electrical Weapons

Presenting Rhythm in Sudden Deaths Temporally Proximate to Discharge of TASER Conducted Electrical Weapons

Cardiac stimulation with high voltage discharge from stun guns

Ophthalmic injuries from a TASER

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