title: Taser blunt probe dart-to-heart distance causing ventricular fibrillation in pigs.
abstract: The maximum distance between the heart and a model Taser stimulation dart, called the dart-to-heart distance, at which the Taser can directly cause ventricular fibrillation (VF), was measured in pigs. A 9-mm-long blunt probe was advanced snugly through the surrounding tissues toward the heart. Five animals [pig mass=61.2+/-6.23 standard deviation (SD) kg] for ten dart-to-heart distances where the Taser caused VF were tested. The dart-to-heart distances where the Taser caused VF of the first stimulation site ranged from 4 to 8 mm with average 6.2 mm+/-1.79 (SD) and of the second stimulation site ranged from 2 to 8 mm with average 5.4 mm+/-2.41 (SD). The results help inform the evolving discussion of risks associated with Tasers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Jiun-Yan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ann P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: O'Rourke
authors.forename: Shane M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Huebner
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Rahko
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Will
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Webster
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004556:Electric Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004597:Electroshock / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004869:Equipment Safety; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013552:Swine; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology