title: TASER X26 discharges in swine produce potentially fatal ventricular arrhythmias.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Data from the authors and others suggest that TASER X26 stun devices can acutely alter cardiac function in swine. The authors hypothesized that TASER discharges degrade cardiac performance through a mechanism not involving concurrent acidosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)-approved protocol, Yorkshire pigs (25-71 kg) were anesthetized, paralyzed with succinylcholine (SCh; 2 mg/kg), and then exposed to two 40-second discharges from a TASER X26 with a transcardiac vector. Vital signs, blood chemistry, and electrolyte levels were obtained before exposure and periodically for 48 hours postdischarge. Electrocardiograms and echocardiography (echo) were performed before, during, and after the discharges. p-Values < 0.05 were considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Electrocardiograms were unreadable during the discharges due to electrical interference, but echo images showed unmistakably that cardiac rhythm was captured immediately at a rate of 301 +/- 18 beats/min (n = 8) in all animals tested. Capture continued for the duration of the discharge and in one animal degenerated into fatal ventricular fibrillation (VF). In the remaining animals, ventricular tachycardia (VT) occurred postdischarge for 1-17 seconds, whereupon sinus rhythm was regained spontaneously. Blood chemistry values and vital signs were minimally altered postdischarge and no significant acidosis was seen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Extreme acid-base disturbances usually seen after lengthy TASER discharges were absent with SCh, but TASER X26 discharges immediately and invariably produced myocardial capture. This usually reverted spontaneously to sinus rhythm postdischarge, but fatal VF was seen in one animal. Thus, in the absence of systemic acidosis, lengthy transcardiac TASER X26 discharges (2 x 40 seconds) captured myocardial rhythm, potentially resulting in VT or VF in swine.
authors.affiliation: Cook County Trauma Unit, John Stroger Hospital of Cook County, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA. rwalter@cookcountytrauma.org
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Dennis
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Valentino
authors.forename: Bosko
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Margeta
authors.forename: Kimberly K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Faran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bokhari
authors.forename: Dorion E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Wiley
authors.forename: Kimberly T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: Roxanne R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004556:Electric Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D005389:Firearms; D006339:Heart Rate; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013552:Swine; D018754:Ventricular Dysfunction / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*