Prolonged Electro-muscular Incapacitation in a Porcine Model Causes Spinal Injury.

Conducted electrical weapons are designed to cause temporary electro-muscular incapacitation (EMI) without significant injury. The objective of this study was to assess the risk and cause of spinal injury due to exposure to a benchtop EMI device. Porcine subjects were exposed to 19 and 40 Hz electrical stimuli for a prolonged duration of 30 sec. X-ray imaging, necropsy, and accelerometry found that lumbosacral spinal fractures occurred in at least 89% of all subjects, regardless of the stimulus group, and were likely caused by musculoskeletal fatigue-related stress in the lumbosacral spine. Spinal fractures occurred in the porcine model at an unusually high rate compared to human. This may be due to both the prolonged duration of electrical stimulation and significant musculoskeletal differences between humans and pigs, which suggests that the porcine model is not a good model of EMI-induced spinal fracture in humans.

Penetration Depths of Conducted Electrical Weapon Probes Into Human Skull Phantoms.

Occasional case reports have described isolated cases of conducted electrical weapon (CEW) probes piercing the human skull. In an experimental setting, we examined whether these cases were just unfortunate incidents, how deeply such probes can pierce the skull, and whether firing distance and CEW probe type play a role in the skull-piercing capability.We fired 5 different CEW cartridges (XP 10.6 m, XP 7.6 m, smart 10.6 m, smart 7.6 m, and smart probe 7.6 m) from 4 different distances (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 m) at head phantoms made of either 5- or 7-mm-thick polyurethane spheres covered with a thin layer of gelatine and buckskin. The piercing depths were recorded by computed tomographic scanning.All tested cartridges managed to pierce the head phantoms. Piercing depths of up to 6.6 mm in the 5-mm heads and depths of almost 5 mm in the 7-mm heads were recorded. Deepest piercing depths were attained with firing distances of 2 m or less.Our results showed that all tested CEW probes are capable of piercing the skull and that shorter firing distances tend to lead to deeper piercing depths.

Cardiac stimulation with electronic control device application.

BACKGROUND: Electronic control devices (ECDs) are weapons used to incapacitate violent subjects. Subjects have died suddenly after ECD application, but because cardiac dysrhythmias have been inconsistently observed during ECD application in animals, the cause for death is uncertain. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to identify the factors contributing to cardiac stimulation during ECD application detected by transesophageal echocardiography. METHODS: Four Yorkshire pigs were anesthetized, paralyzed with vecuronium, and restrained in a supine position. A GE 6T echo probe was placed in the esophagus to directly visualize left ventricular function. M-mode echocardiography was used to estimate heart rate. Two dart locations, chest and abdomen, were assessed. ECD applications were delivered from one of five commercially available devices (Taser X26, Singer S200 AT, Taser M26, Taser X3, and Taser C2) in random order to each pig, four times in each orientation. RESULTS: Cardiac stimulation, characterized by multiple PVCs or the sudden increase in ventricular contraction rate during application, did not occur with abdominal dart location. With chest dart application in small pigs, cardiac stimulation occurred with all ECDs except with the Taser X3 (p < 0.0001). In large pigs, cardiac stimulation occurred only during chest application of the S200 AT (chest vs. abdomen: 207 beats/min, vs. 91 beats/min, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Cardiac stimulation occurs during ECD application in pigs, and is dependent upon subject size, dart orientation, and ECD. The Taser X3 did not result in cardiac stimulation in small or large pigs.

An evaluation of two conducted electrical weapons using a swine comparative cardiac safety model.

Arrest-related deaths proximate to the use of a conducted electrical weapon (CEW) continue to generate controversy despite a better understanding of the multi-factorial nature of many of these deaths. With the rapid adoption of this technology by law enforcement, and the proliferation of companies entering the marketplace, it is important to have a method to assess the relative safety of these weapons. We had previously developed a model to assess the relative cardiac safety of CEWs. In this study, we use this model to compare the TASER X2 and the Karbon Arms MPID. Our results suggest that the TASER X2 may have an improved cardiac safety margin over the Karbon Arms MPID as determined by a smaller area of cardiac pacing on the anterior chest in our model. This model seems to offer a reproducible means of comparing the cardiac effects of CEWs.

A brain penetration after Taser injury: controversies regarding Taser gun safety.

We report the case of a 27 year old man who was injured by a Taser gun device which penetrated the frontal part of the skull and damaged the underlying frontal lobe. Cerebral penetration was revealed by a brain CT scan. A neurosurgical procedure was required to remove the dart from the skull and brain and the evolution was successful allowing discharge of the patient one week later. There were no additional lesions, particularly electrifying lesion, as only one probe had penetrated the skull. We also observed the length of a Taser dart is sufficient to allow brain penetration. Fortunately, no infection or neurological complication occurred following brain injury. This case study underlines the potential risk induced by the use of Taser stun gun. Although generally regarded as a safe alternative, serious injuries have however been reported and questions regarding the safety of the device still remains unresolved.

[CT-findings in penetrating captive bolt injuries to the head and brain: analysis of the trauma-related CT-findings and review of the literature]. / CT-Befunde bei penetrierenden Kopfverletzungen durch Bolzenschussgeräte--Analyse der verletzungsspezifischen CT-Befunde und eine Übersicht über die relevante Literatur.

Penetrating gunshot injuries to the head and brain are rare in Germany and the rest of Western Europe. Due to the small number of cases over here no consistent diagnostic and therapeutic standards exist in this respect. Thus these kinds of injuries present a great challenge to the attending physicians. Most of these violations are a result of a suicidal attempt or an accident. Beside violations by firearms also penetrating injuries to the head and brain due to captive bolt devices, as used in slaughtery business for the "humane" killing of animals, occur from time to time. The impact on the head differs from that caused by firearms because no projectile is leaving the barrel and the used bolt, as a fix part of the device, does not remain in the affected tissue. That implies characteristic results within the radiological imaging that might be pathbreaking for the further treatment, because the origin of such a head injury is often unknown during primary care. Consequently the knowledge of these specific findings is central to the radiologist to make the appropriate diagnosis. Based on some clinical examples the trauma-related CT-findings are introduced and a short overview of the relevant literature is also given.