Fortuitous therapeutic effect of Taser shock for a patient in atrial fibrillation.

Abstract

Neuromuscular incapacitating devices are used by law enforcement and military forces worldwide. The most frequently used of these devices are from Taser International. Although they are regarded as a less than lethal alternative, there have been several case reports aimed at linking the potential causal relationship of a shock from a neuromuscular incapacitating device and sudden cardiac death caused by induced ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. In this report, we describe the first known account in which a neuromuscular incapacitating device had a temporal relationship to a more positive therapeutic outcome for a patient.