Annals of Emergency Medicine
Volume 52, Issue 6 , Pages 686-688 , December 2008

Fortuitous Therapeutic Effect of Taser Shock for a Patient in Atrial Fibrillation

  • Kyle A. Richards, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Cardiology, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress for correspondence: Kyle A. Richards, MD, Hartford Hospital, 85 Seymour St, Hartford, CT 06102; 860-545-5157, fax 860-545-5631
    • ,
  • L. Peter Kleuser, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT
    • ,
  • Jeffrey Kluger, MD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Electrophysiology, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT

Received 11 March 2008 ,Revised 14 April 2008 ,Accepted 18 April 2008.

References 

  1. Koscove EM. The Taser weapon: a new emergency medicine problem. Ann Emerg Med. 1985;14:1205–1208
  2. Kornblum RN, Reddy SK. Effects of the Taser in fatalities involving police confrontation. J Forensic Sci. 1991;36:434–438
  3. Kim PJ, Franklin WH. Ventricular fibrillation after stun-gun discharge. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:958–959
  4. Murray JRB. A Guide to Taser Technology. Whitewater, CO: Whitewater Press; 1997;
  5. O'Brien DJ. Electronic weaponry—a question of safety. Ann Emerg Med. 1991;20:583–587
  6. Nanthakumar K, Billingsley IM, Masse S, et al. Cardiac electrophysiological consequences of neuromuscular incapacitating device discharges. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006;48:798–804
  7. Taser International Web site. Modeling Taser currents. Available at: http://www.taser.com/research/Science/Pages/ComputerModelling.aspx. Accessed February 20, 2008.
  8. Ricard P, Levy S, Trigano J, et al. Prospective assessment of the minimum energy needed for external electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation. Am J Cardiol. 1997;79:815–816
  9. Taramasco V, Socas A, Ricard P, et al. Internal low-energy cardioversion: a therapeutic option for restoring sinus rhythm in chronic atrial fibrillation after failure of external cardioversion. Europace. 1999;1:179–182
  10. Vilke GM, Sloane CM, Bouton KD, et al. Physiological effects of a conducted electrical weapon on human subjects. Ann Emerg Med. 2007;50:569–575
  11. Ho JD, Miner JR, Lakireddy DR, et al. Cardiovascular and physiologic effects of conducted electrical weapon discharge in resting adults. Acad Emerg Med. 2006;13:589–595
  12. McDaniel WC, Stratbucker RA, Nerheim M, et al. Cardiac safety of neuromuscular incapacitating defensive devices. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2005;28(suppl 1):S284–S287

 Supervising editor: Judd E. Hollander, MD

 Funding and support: By Annals policy, all authors are required to disclose any and all commercial, financial, and other relationships in any way related to the subject of this article that might create any potential conflict of interest. The authors have stated that no such relationships exist. See the Manuscript Submission Agreement in this issue for examples of specific conflicts covered by this statement.

 Publication dates: Available online June 2, 2008.

 Reprints not available from the authors.

PII: S0196-0644(08)00726-9

doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2008.04.023

Annals of Emergency Medicine
Volume 52, Issue 6 , Pages 686-688 , December 2008

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