| Can the direct cardiac effects of the electric pulses generated by the TASER X26 cause immediate or delayed sudden cardiac arrest in normal adults? | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 17721165 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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There is only a small amount of experimental data about whether the TASER X26, a nonlethal weapon that delivers a series of brief electrical pulses to cause involuntary muscular contraction to temporarily incapacitate an individual, can initiate ventricular fibrillation to cause sudden cardiac arrest either immediately or sometime after its use. Therefore, this paper uses the fundamental law of electrostimulation and experimental data from the literature to estimate the likelihood of such events. Because of the short duration of the TASER pulses, the large duration of the cardiac cell membrane time constant, the small fraction of current from electrodes on the body surface that passes through the heart, and the resultant high pacing threshold from the body surface, the fundamental law of electrostimulation predicts that the TASER pulses will not stimulate an ectopic beat in the large majority of normal adults. Since the immediate initiation of ventricular fibrillation in a normal heart requires a very premature stimulated ectopic beat and the threshold for such premature beats is higher than less premature beats, it is unlikely that TASER pulses can immediately initiate ventricular fibrillation in such individuals through the direct effect of the electric field generated through the heart by the TASER. In the absence of preexisting heart disease, the delayed development of ventricular fibrillation requires the electrical stimuli to cause electroporation or myocardial necrosis. However, the electrical thresholds for electroporation and necrosis are many times higher than that required to stimulate an ectopic beat. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the TASER X26 can cause ventricular fibrillation minutes to hours after its use through direct cardiac effects of the electric field generated by the TASER. |
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Authors:
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Raymond E Ideker; Derek J Dosdall |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review |
Journal Detail:
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Title: The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology Volume: 28 ISSN: 0195-7910 ISO Abbreviation: Am J Forensic Med Pathol Publication Date: 2007 Sep |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2007-08-27 Completed Date: 2007-12-07 Revised Date: 2011-02-02 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 8108948 Medline TA: Am J Forensic Med Pathol Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 195-201 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-0019, USA. rei@crml.uab.edu |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Animals Cell Membrane Electric Stimulation / instrumentation* Electrodes Forensic Medicine Heart / physiology Heart Arrest* Humans Membrane Potentials / physiology Myocytes, Cardiac / physiology Time Factors Ventricular Fibrillation / physiopathology |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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