ARTICLE IN PRESS

BASIC INVESTIGATIONS

Cardiovascular and Physiologic Effects of
Conducted Electrical Weapon Discharge
in Resting Adults
Jeffrey D. Ho, MD, James R. Miner, MD, Dhanunjaya R. Lakireddy, MD, Laura L. Bultman, MD,
William G. Heegaard, MD, MPH

Abstract
Objectives: The TASER is a conducted electrical weapon (CEW) that has been used on people in custody.
Individuals occasionally die unexpectedly while in custody, proximal to the application of a CEW. In this
study, the authors sought to examine the effects of CEW application in resting adult volunteers to determine if there was evidence of induced electrical dysrhythmia or direct cellular damage that would indicate
a causal relationship between application of the device and in-custody death.
Methods: Human subjects (N = 66) underwent 24-hour monitoring after a standard CEW application.
Blood samples were collected before and after exposure and again at 16 and 24 hours after exposure.
A subpopulation (n = 32) had 12-lead electrocardiography performed at similar time intervals. Blood samples were analyzed for markers of skeletal and cardiac muscle injury and renal impairment. The electrocardiograms were read by a cardiologist blinded to the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results: There was no significant change from baseline at any of the four time points for serum electrolyte
levels and the blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio. An increase in serum bicarbonate and creatine kinase
levels was noted at 16 and 24 hours. An increase in serum lactate level was noted immediately after exposure that decreased at 16 and 24 hours. Serum myoglobin level was increased from baseline at all three time
points. All troponin levels measured were <0.3 ng/mL, except for a single value of 0.6 ng/mL in a single subject. This subject was evaluated, and no evidence of acute myocardial infarction or disability was identified.
At baseline, 30 of 32 electrocardiograms were interpreted as normal. The two abnormal electrocardiograms were abnormal at baseline and remained the same at all four time points.
Conclusions: In this resting adult population, the TASER X26 CEW did not affect the recordable cardiac
electrical activity within a 24-hour period following a standard five-second application. The authors were
unable to detect any induced electrical dysrhythmias or significant direct cardiac cellular damage that
may be related to sudden and unexpected death proximal to CEW exposure. Additionally, no evidence
of dangerous hyperkalemia or induced acidosis was found. Further study in the area of the in-custody
death phenomenon to better understand its causes is recommended.
ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2006; -:--–-- ª 2006 by the Society for Academic Emergency
Medicine
Keywords: TASER, in-custody death, electrocardiogram analysis, serum analysis, conducted
electrical weapon

From the Department of Emergency Medicine, Hennepin
County Medical Center (JDH, JRM, LLB, WGH), Minneapolis,
MN; and Department of Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic and Hospital (DRL), Cleveland, OH.
Received November 25, 2005; revisions received January 3, 2006,
and January 6, 2006; accepted January 6, 2006.
Supported in part by TASER International (Scottsdale, AZ),
manufacturer of the conducted electrical weapon in question.
Drs. Ho, Miner, Bultman, and Heegaard serve as external consultants to TASER International.
Address for correspondence and reprints: Jeffrey D. Ho, MD,
Department of Emergency Medicine, Hennepin County Medical
Center, 701 Park Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55415. Fax:
612-873-4904; e-mail: hoxxx010@umn.edu.

ª 2006 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
doi: 10.1197/j.aem.2006.01.017

T

he TASER (TASER International, Scottsdale, AZ)
is a conducted electrical weapon (CEW) available
for law enforcement and civilian use. It is designed to subdue or repel agitated or violent individuals.
It has come under scrutiny by national and international
media and human rights organizations because there
have been deaths of persons in custody following its
application.1,2 Most deaths in police custody occur
when no CEW has been applied.3 However, a causal
association has been suggested.4–6
Current theories about this association include production of immediate fatal arrhythmias or some type of
subacute, delayed cardiac or other organ system damage
that manifests itself as sudden death at a later time.

ISSN 1069-6563
PII ISSN 1069-6563583

1

ARTICLE IN PRESS
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Ho et al.

In this study, we sought to examine the effects of a CEW
application in resting adult volunteers to determine if
there was evidence of induced electrical dysrhythmia or
direct cellular damage that would indicate a causal
relationship between the application of the device and
in-custody death (ICD).
METHODS
Study Design
This was a prospective observational study of resting
adult volunteers recruited at a TASER International
training course in April 2005. The institutional review
board of Hennepin County Medical Center approved
the study. Subjects provided informed consent before
enrollment.
Study Setting and Population
This study was performed with volunteer subjects. As
part of their training course, they were to receive a
five-second CEW application as required by the course
curriculum. All adult subjects (age older than 18 years)
were eligible for enrollment. They did not have to participate in the study as a requirement for successful course
completion, but declining to participate in the study did
not absolve them from receiving the CEW application.
The application consisted of a five-second application
with projectile darts powered by the TASER X26 model
CEW (TASER International) (Figure 1).
Study Protocol
Before undergoing the CEW application, 32 of the 66
subjects were randomly selected to also undergo a baseline electrocardiographic evaluation. Random selection
of these subjects was made by taking the next subject
in line when an electrocardiography machine became
available. All subjects had blood drawn before the
CEW application for baseline laboratory analysis for
electrolytes, serum markers of skeletal and cardiac mus-



EFFECTS OF CONDUCTED ELECTRICAL WEAPON

cle injury, and renal function. All subjects completed a
medical questionnaire for the purpose of gathering additional medical information for descriptive reporting. The
descriptive data points gathered for all subjects included
age, gender, medical history, current medications, and
significant exertion within the 24 hours before the study.
The CEW application consisted of a standard TASER
X26 deployment of probes made from a distance of approximately 7 ft. The subject faced away from the deploying instructor and was supported by assisting personnel
per the manufacturer’s training recommendations. When
the CEW was deployed and muscular incapacitation
was achieved, the support personnel would allow the
subject to begin to fall to the ground and would assist
them to the ground in whichever direction they were falling. The CEW was allowed to run for a standard five-second cycle. On completion of the application, the probes
were removed, the probe entry points were disinfected,
and adhesive bandages were applied if needed.
Immediately following the CEW application, all subjects
underwent repeat venipuncture. This was performed
again at 16 and 24 hours after the application. Similarly,
the electrocardiography subgroup underwent additional
electrocardiography at the same time intervals.
Collected blood samples were analyzed for troponin,
myoglobin, lactate, potassium, glucose, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and creatine kinase levels. Venipuncture
was performed by an independent laboratory organization (Laboratory Corporation of America, Phoenix, AZ)
using certified phlebotomists and routine venipuncture
practices. After each venipuncture, the specimens were
labeled and transported according to the laboratory
standard for analysis at an off-site facility. Analysis was
performed using standard assays and laboratory instruments (Abbott Diagnostics, Abbott Park, IL).
The subjects selected to participate in the 12-lead electrocardiographic evaluation were connected to cardiac
monitors (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN). The leads were
placed in standard configuration on the chest wall, arms,

Figure 1. Cutaway image of TASER X26 conducted electrical weapon. Photograph courtesy of TASER International.

ARTICLE IN PRESS
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Month 2006, Vol. -, No. -



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and legs. The computer assessment function was turned
off to prevent printing of the assessment on the electrocardiogram to ensure unbiased evaluation. The electrocardiograms were sent to a blinded, independent
cardiologist in random order and individually evaluated
for abnormalities.

3

Table 1
Summary of Subject Medical Histories
n

Percentage of
Total

None
Hypertension
Hypercholesterolemia
Mitral valve prolapse
Hypothyroidism
Congestive heart failure
Previous myocardial
infarction
Cerebrovascular disease
Asthma
Diabetes
Gout

51
6
6
2
1
1
1

77.3
9.1
9.1
3.0
1.5
1.5
1.5

1
1
1
1

1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5

Medications

None
Statin
Antihypertensive
Aspirin
Thyroxine
Glipizide
Allopurinol
Nitroglycerin

52
6
6
6
2
1
1
1

78.8
9.1
9.1
9.1
3.0
1.5
1.5
1.5

Family history

None
Coronary artery disease
Diabetes
Other*

44
8
9
13

66.7
12.1
13.6
19.7

Medical History
Past history

Data Analysis
Data were entered in an Excel (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA) database for analysis. Data analysis was performed using Stata 6.0 (Stata Corp., College Station, TX).
Descriptive statistics were used when appropriate. The
percentage change from baseline laboratory values is
presented with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).
Changes were considered insignificant when the confidence interval crossed zero.
RESULTS
A total of 66 subjects were enrolled (65 men and one
woman), with a mean (ÆSD) age of 40.3 (Æ6.8) years
(range, 29–55 years). No eligible subjects were excluded
from participation. The mean (ÆSD) body mass index
was 28.4 (Æ3.5) kg/m2 (range, 21.1–36.8 kg/m2). Of the
66 subjects, 51 (77.3%) reported no significant medical
history, six (9.1%) reported a history of known hypertension, and six (9.1%) reported hypercholesterolemia.
Additionally, one subject reported previous myocardial
infarction with triple coronary artery bypass grafting
and significant coronary artery disease. One subject
also reported a history of congestive heart failure (currently well controlled), another reported a history of a
transient ischemic attack two years prior, and one subject reported type 2 diabetes mellitus (Table 1). There
were eight reports (12.1%) of a significant family history
of coronary artery disease (close relative with early onset
of disease). There were also 17 reports (25.8%) of strenuous physical exertion on the day of study enrollment. The
strenuous physical exertion described was typical of an
exertional aerobic workout or anaerobic weight lifting.
Laboratory results are shown in Table 2. There was no
significant change from baseline for serum electrolyte
levels and the blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio. An
increase in serum bicarbonate and creatine kinase levels
was noted at 16 and 24 hours. An increase in serum
lactate level was noted immediately after exposure that
decreased at 16 and 24 hours. Serum myoglobin level
was increased from baseline at all three time points.
The troponin I levels were all <0.3 ng/mL, except a single
value of 0.6 ng/mL in a single subject at the 24-hour postexposure period. This subject was evaluated in a hospital
by a cardiologist, and no clinical evidence of acute
myocardial infarction was identified and no evidence of
cardiac disability was demonstrated. The troponin I value
returned to normal within eight hours of its reported
elevation. The subject was never symptomatic and
continued a regimen of daily aerobic exercise after the
hospital evaluation without difficulty.
Thirty of the 32 electrocardiograms were interpreted
as normal. The two abnormal electrocardiograms remained the same at all four time points (one was left
ventricular hypertrophy, and one was an occasional
sinus pause). No other abnormalities were noted.

* All other reported conditions (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia,
stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm, implanted cardiac pacemaker, rheumatoid arthritis, various cancers).

DISCUSSION
Conducted electrical weapons are considered to be an
intermediate weapon by law enforcement agencies (intermediate weapons are those devices that generally
can induce subject compliance due to pain or incapacitation and are a level above empty-hand control techniques
but less than deadly force). Examples of intermediate
weapons include devices such as aerosolized chemical
irritants, impact batons, and projectile beanbags. TASER
is a brand name (acronym for Thomas A. Swift Electric
Rifle) of CEW. The terms ‘‘TASER device’’ and ‘‘CEW’’
are often used interchangeably because, at the time of
this writing, there are no other CEW manufacturers
that have brought products to market. Currently, TASER
International manufactures two law enforcement models
(X26 and M26) and three civilian models (X26c, M18, and
M18L). The X26 is the latest generation and the most
popular model currently in use and was the model used
in this study. It is considered to be a nonlethal weapon
under the definition set forth by the U.S. Department of
Defense.7
The X26 is programmed to deliver a roughly rectangular pulse of approximately 100-microsecond duration
with about 100 mC of charge at 19 pulses per second for
five seconds.8 The peak voltage across the body is approximately 1,200 V, but the weapon also develops an
open-circuit arc of 50,000 V to traverse clothing in cases
where no direct contact is made. The average current
is approximately 2.1 mA. It uses compressed nitrogen to
fire two metallic darts up to a maximum of 35 ft with a

ARTICLE IN PRESS
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Ho et al.



EFFECTS OF CONDUCTED ELECTRICAL WEAPON

Table 2
Summary of Serum Analysis for Study Subjects

Glucose (mg/dL)
Mean
SD
Range
% Change (95% CI)
BUN (mg/dL)
Mean
SD
Range
% Change (95% CI)
Creatinine (mg/dL)
Mean
SD
Range
% Change (95% CI)
BUN/creatinine ratio
Mean
SD
Range
% Change (95% CI)
Sodium (mmol/L)
Mean
SD
Range
% Change (95% CI)
Potassium (mmol/L)
Mean
SD
Range
% Change (95% CI)
Chloride (mmol/L)
Mean
SD
Range
% Change (95% CI)
Bicarbonate (mmol/L)
Mean
SD
Range
% Change (95% CI)
Calcium (mg/dL)
Mean
SD
Range
% Change (95% CI)
Creatine kinase (U/L)
Mean
SD
% Change (95% CI)
Range
Troponin I (ng/mL)
Mean
SD
Range
% Change (95% CI)
Lactate (mg/dL)
Mean
SD
Range
% Change (95% CI)
Myoglobin (ng/mL)
Mean
SD
Range
% Change (95% CI)
Percent change is from baseline.

Baseline

Time 2

Time 3

Time 4

94.5
13.8
56–137

98.5
16.5
44–161
4.9 (ÿ1.1, 8.6)

92.1
22.6
51–185
ÿ1.0 (ÿ7.6, 5.6)

101.6
19.4
69–151
7.6 (ÿ0.5, 14.8)

16.5
4.5
9–31

16.5
4.4
9–29
ÿ0.7 (ÿ2.8, 1.4)

16.9
4.1
11–31
ÿ5.3 (ÿ10.2, 0.4)

17.2
3.5
11–28
ÿ5.4 (ÿ11.0, 0.2)

1.1
0.16
0.7–1.5

1.1
0.15
0.7–1.4
ÿ1.0 (ÿ2.5, 0.5)

1.1
0.13
0.7–1.4
2.1 (ÿ0.7, 4.8)

1.1
0.14
0.7–1.5
ÿ1.4 (ÿ5.3, 2.6)

15.1:1
3.5
9–24:1

15.0:1
3.5
9–27:1
0.0 (ÿ2.2, 2.2)

16.0:1
3.7
9–26:1
8.1 (3.4, 12.9)

15.3:1
2.9
11–25:1
4.7 (ÿ0.2, 9.5)

138.8
2.2
135–148

138.9
2.2
134–147
ÿ0.1 (ÿ0.4, 0.2)

137.4
1.9
134–142
1.0 (0.5, 1.4)

137.8
2.4
134–145
0.7 (0.2, 1.1)

4.1
0.3
3.5–5.0

3.9
0.4
3.3–4.9
4.1 (1.9, 6.4)

4.5
0.4
3.7–5.7
ÿ8.7 (ÿ11.7, ÿ5.6)

4.2
0.3
3.2–5.2
ÿ2.2 (ÿ4.6, 0.1)

100.3
2.1
96–106

99.9
2.0
95–109
0.4 (0.0, 0.8)

101.1
2.5
96–108
ÿ0.7 (ÿ1.4, 0.0)

101.0
2.7
96–108
ÿ0.6 (ÿ1.3, 0.0)

22.6
1.9
19–26

22.0
2.1
18–27
2.4 (0.4, 4.3)

24.6
2.1
19–29
ÿ9.1 (ÿ11.8, ÿ6.3)

23.8
2.3
18–29
ÿ5.0 (ÿ7.2, ÿ2.8)

9.9
0.3
9.3–10.7

9.9
0.3
9.0–10.6
0.3 (ÿ0.4, 0.9)

9.9
0.3
9.2–10.7
ÿ0.4 (ÿ1.0, 0.3)

9.9
0.3
9.1–10.6
0.1 (ÿ0.8, 0.9)

185.1
99.4

184.1
99.8
0.9 (ÿ0.5, 2.2)
60–484

221.6
143.9
ÿ23.9 (ÿ38.1, ÿ9.8)
50–806

242.3
170.5
ÿ32.2 (ÿ49.3, ÿ15.0)
52–909

0
0
0

0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0

15.8
5.7
7–44

24.7
7.6
9–45
ÿ66.9 (ÿ80.8, ÿ53.0)

18.3
6.8
7–36
ÿ22.3 (ÿ35.1, ÿ9.5)

19.8
6.7
9–37
ÿ30.8 (ÿ43.6, ÿ17.9)

32.4
15.1
11–100

45.5
27.1
15–167
ÿ34.1 (ÿ57.4, ÿ10.7)

42.9
22.4
18–130
ÿ36.3 (ÿ47.3, ÿ25.6)

51.3
29.8
17–61
ÿ64.0 (ÿ89.4, ÿ38.6)

71–479

ARTICLE IN PRESS
ACAD EMERG MED

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5

predetermined angled rate of spread. It is capable of
transmitting an electrical impulse through two cumulative inches of clothing. When it makes adequate contact
and the darts are of adequate separation, it causes involuntary contractions of the regional skeletal muscles that
render the subject incapable of voluntary movement. If
the darts are fired at very close range and do not achieve
adequate separation, full muscular incapacitation may
not be achieved, and the device is then used to encourage
certain behavior through pain compliance. Additionally,
the TASER device has electrical contact points at its tip
that are approximately 1.5 inches apart. These contact
points may be touched to a subject during discharge of
the weapon and are also considered a pain compliance
technique because the separation is not adequate to
cause a full, involuntary contraction of muscles.
It has been theorized that CEWs have been associated with several sudden and unexpected subject deaths
while in law enforcement custody. This ICD phenomenon
is not new, and similar phenomena have been described
in psychiatric literature dating back to the mid-1800s.9
Over the years, there have been attempts to link ICD
with single causative factors, such as use of chemical
irritants (e.g., pepper spray), restraint and positional
asphyxia, structural cardiac abnormalities, or use of illicit
stimulant medication.10–22 Many of these links have been
questioned, disproved, or found to be absent.23–29 This
has generated more questions than answers in the search
for a common cause.
One theory that has gained some recent popularity
has been that of the condition of excited delirium and
metabolic acidosis.30 The described features of excited
delirium syndrome include agitation, incoherence, hyperthermia, paranoia, inappropriate and often violent behavior, constant motion, and feats of incredible strength.
This syndrome is closely associated with sudden, unexpected death.19,29 It is believed that precursors to this
condition are chronic, illicit stimulant abuse, presence
of certain mental health conditions, and also use of
certain mental health medications. It is believed that
the state of excited delirium sets the stage for the subject
to enter a metabolic acidosis condition, and this can be
profound.31 If left untreated, the subject will become
acidotic to a point that is not compatible with life and
will experience a cardiorespiratory arrest. Surveillance
data seem to correlate this type of behavior with those
at highest risk for an ICD event.3
However, another more recent theory is that of the
TASER-induced ICD (TIICD). It is a perception by many
that because a CEW incapacitates through the generation of electricity, it is somehow causing death, presumably from an electrically induced fatal arrhythmia.
There have been media sources that have incorrectly
compared CEWs with the electric chair used in capital
punishment, although the electrical current specifications for each are markedly different.32 If the TIICD theory is correct, it would be expected that electrically
induced fatal arrhythmias would be inducible in the laboratory setting. This has not been the case, and there is
evidence to show that the current, available CEW output
would need to be increased to a minimum of 15 times its
current setting to reliably induce ventricular fibrillation
in a 60-lb animal.33 This same study showed that animals

with heavier masses required even greater outputs. Additionally, there have been instances when persons of small
stature have experienced a CEW deployment without
evidence of sudden death.34,35 Collectively, these data do
not support the theory of a CEW-induced fatal arrhythmia
as the cause of ICD events.
If TIICD were to occur in real life, it would be expected
that any induction of arrhythmia would be instantaneous
and result in instantaneous collapse and cardiac arrest.
However, in a surveillance of eight months of ICD events
in the United States, only 27% of ICD events were associated with occurrence proximal to application of a
CEW, and in none of these cases did the person collapse
instantaneously after the application.3 There have been
two other data sources that seem to counter the TIICD
theory. The first was a small study by Levine et al. that measured cardiac rhythm strips before, during, and after CEW
application on a pool of volunteers. The conclusion was
that the CEW application did nothing to create an abnormality on the observed rhythm strip.36 The second and
more compelling set of data comes from the training
classes conducted by CEW manufacturer TASER International. These classes have delivered more than 100,000
CEW applications to participants with no reported collapses, cardiac arrests, or fatalities.8 Additionally, the
results of our study do not support this theory.
There has been one report in a letter to the editor of a
medical journal of a case of ventricular fibrillation after
exposure to a CEW.37 Upon review of the paramedic field
report, the subject received a CEW application because
of apparent threatening behavior toward a police officer
during a prolonged, agitated state. The subject was successfully subdued but found to be in cardiorespiratory
arrest approximately 14–23 minutes after the CEW application. We believe that this case is very similar to every
other described in the literature in which the ICD event
occurs proximal to CEW exposure but collapse is not instantaneous. We believe that the facts of this case report
do not support an electrically induced dysrhythmia.
Because the TIICD theory does not seem to be consistent with an instantaneously induced catastrophe, it has
also been theorized that perhaps the application of the
CEW somehow causes a more insidious, longer-term
problem that manifests itself minutes or hours after the
event. It is hypothesized that this could take the form of
a silent myocardial event. It is also thought that perhaps
the CEW application could induce rhabodmyolysis that
has been associated with an excited delirium condition.38
Because of this theory, we undertook this project.
Using standard laboratory analyses and electrical cardiac monitoring devices, we were unable to demonstrate
a significant change from baseline in standard serum
electrolyte values of the test subjects after application
of the CEW. Of note, it is theorized that an association
between CEW application and ICD is due to a possible
induced hyperkalemia from cellular damage and necrosis. Our findings do not support this, and the mean serum
potassium value actually decreased slightly immediately
after CEW exposure. Additionally, we did not demonstrate any decrease in serum bicarbonate levels that
would lead to a suggestion of induced acidosis.
With regard to serum markers of muscle injury such as
creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and myoglobin,



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we did demonstrate increased levels after CEW exposure. These findings were not unexpected based on previous literature demonstrating elevated levels of skeletal
muscle damage markers for at least 48 hours following
an exertional event.39 We consider these CEW data to
be a baseline with regard to resting human subjects. A
possible consideration is that in subjects who experience
an ICD event, there may be a connection between their
hypermetabolic and presumed acidosis state (due to fleeing, fighting, stimulant use, and so on) and the application of CEWs. This possible connection has not yet
been shown or disproved and remains as an area requiring further investigation.
The single subject with the slight elevation of troponin
I level was initially concerning. All of this subject’s troponin levels remained within the normal range (laboratory
reference normal is 0.0–0.4 ng/mL) except for the single
level drawn at 24 hours after CEW exposure. This level
was 0.6 ng/mL. It should be noted that this subject was
a very fit and athletic individual and had performed a rigorous aerobic workout regimen without difficulty about
three hours before the CEW exposure. Despite being
asymptomatic and feeling well, he was immediately taken
to a hospital where he underwent admission and extensive cardiac evaluation from a group of consulting cardiologists. His initial troponin level at the hospital was
drawn within eight hours of his elevated level and was
0.1 ng/mL. His inpatient evaluation included a treadmill
stress test (Treadmill Myoview test utilizing standard
Bruce protocol with a double product of 24,335 achieved)
and a rest/adenosine-augmented stress gated tomographic myocardial perfusion study utilizing Tc99m radiopharmaceutical injection. The results of both tests were
interpreted as normal. There were several explanations
offered as possible causes by the consulting cardiologists. These included laboratory error, delayed clearance
of troponin related to subject baseline physiology, or
idiopathic and indeterminate etiology. There was
agreement that there was no indication of myocardial
damage or ischemia, and the subject was allowed to
return to regular duty without limitations.

LIMITATIONS
Previous studies conducted on CEWs have used police
volunteers as study subjects. The criticisms surrounding
this type of sampling have focused on the perceived health
of the study population. It has been stated that persons in
the police profession have above-average health and
fitness when compared with other members in society.
Therefore, studies based on this population might be
biased. The same criticism could be brought forward in
this study. However, we collected the health histories of
all of the volunteers and found that a surprising number
of the volunteers had significant health problems as previously outlined. Based on this, we believe that this study
population encompasses volunteers with health issues
not unlike the general population. Additionally, the mean
body mass index calculated for the study group places
them in the ‘‘overweight’’ category for American adults.
We acknowledge that the study population did not have
a diagnosed mental illness condition and did not have an

Ho et al.



EFFECTS OF CONDUCTED ELECTRICAL WEAPON

apparent history of illicit stimulant abuse. Both of these
conditions are recognized to be present in a high percentage of subjects who experience an ICD event.3,40 However, we also recognize that a real-time study of this
population is unlikely to meet any protections required
for human subject studies in this country.
Another limitation to this study is that the population
sampled was considered to be at rest. This is unlike the
population that meets the profile at high risk for an ICD
event.3 We recognize this but believe that these baseline
data make an important contribution to this area of
study, and we recommend that further study be conducted with other types of sample populations to determine associative risk, if any.
An additional criticism of this project might be that the
study subjects received only a five-second application
from the CEW. We recognize that there are occasional
reports of multiple applications or prolonged exposures
to CEWs, but we designed the study around the most
common time exposure reported. The period of five seconds was used because the manufacturer’s collected data
suggest that a majority of field applications (67%) are for
five seconds or less.8
CONCLUSIONS
In this resting adult population, the TASER X26 CEW did
not affect the recordable cardiac electrical activity within
a 24-hour period following a standard five-second application. We were unable to detect any induced electrical
dysrhythmias or significant direct cardiac cellular damage that may be related to sudden and unexpected death
proximal to CEW exposure. Additionally, we did not
demonstrate evidence of dangerous hyperkalemia or
induced acidosis. We recommend further study in the
area of the ICD phenomenon to better understand its
causes.
References
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