Tasers

Tasers have now been introduced in the state of NSW Australia.
Already there has been an instance of use on a young girl in circumstances which seem to be completely not necessary.
Although I contacted current affairs programmes at two TV stations, I have had no response to my questions regarding the effect of a stun gun use on someone who has a pacemaker or a metal body implant e.g. knee replacement. Does anyone have any information on these matters please.

4 Comments

myths

by Tracey_E - 2008-11-15 08:11:00

from http://www.taser.com/research/Pages/PhysicianFAQs.aspx

The most persistent and surprising urban myth is that there is some special danger with an ECD being used on a patient with a pacemaker or ICD (implantable defibrillator). First, pacemakers and ICDs are required by international standard to withstand the 360 joule shock of an external defibrillator.135 This has over 5000 times the energy of an X26 pulse. This pacemaker case study is best appreciated in light of the extensive study of the device effects of TASER ECDs performed
at the Cleveland Clinic. Lakkireddy et al implanted 7 different ICD and 9 different pacemaker models in a small (28 kg) swine. They then applied TASER X26 currents through the worst case pathway with one
barb at the sternal notch and the other at the point of maximum cardiac impulse. While they noted occasional capture, there were no inductions of any sustained arrhythmias. It is also relevant that the
age of the typical custodial death case (32.1 ± 6.4) is far removed from that of the typical pacemaker patient (around 80) with the first implant at 75.1 years. These results taken in toto — suggest that ECDs are safe despite a rare encounter with a pacemaker patient.

There have been 2 published case studies of such rare encounters and neither subject had serious harm.137,138

FDA standards for these implantable devices require that they can withstand extremely high energy shocks (i.e. up to 360J monophasic and 200J biphasic): Implantable Medical Device requirements 90/385/1EC).
The X26 TASER delivers 0.07 joules per pulse to the load. The M26 TASER delivers 0.50 joules per pulse to the load.

not typical!

by Tracey_E - 2008-11-15 10:11:58

I was quoting the other website! I'd be the last person to try to describe a "typical" pm patient, lol. The only thing we all have in common is a screwy heart.

Tasers

by SMITTY - 2008-11-15 11:11:29

I have a comment about tasers and pacemakers. I'll not argue with what has been posted about a pacemaker having to withstand X number of joules. But I think there is something that does not address. And that is the muscle contractions that take place when someone is hit with a taser. No, I haven't been hit with a taser, but I've seen video of people that have been. One thing is very apparent and that is the body as a whole does not like a taser. Some people silently collapse, some yell, and some seem to be paralyzed. All look as if they are having convulsions to some degree.

So my comment is, or more correctly my question is, even though a PM can withstand the power of the electrical current from a taser, can the leads survive the muscle spasms that a person may have? I can easily imagine that if a person with a PM got hit in the chest area with a taser probe then those chest muscles are likely to react in a way that could adversely affect the PM leads.

Of course I realize that being hit by a taser, PM or no PM, is much less likely to harm the person than being hit by a 40 cal. bullet, which may be the lawman's other option. But the fact remains that just because a PM can withstand the electrical current from a taser, that does not mean the PM system, as a whole, can.

So to anyone I say don't be a fool and resist in any way when a lawman gives an order. My theory is that when I am approached by a lawman, regardless of whether I'm innocent or not, that is as good as it is going to get. However, I can certainly make things much worse by resisting or mouthing off.

Smitty

Chuckling Too

by bobad - 2008-11-15 11:11:47

What Wingart said. Also, I can't imagine even a young pacer patient acting a fool and getting tasered.

You know you're wired when...

You play MP3 files on your pacer.

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