Taser blunt probe dart-to-heart distance causing ventricular fibrillation in pigs.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 19126456.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1109/TBME.2008.2002154.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
The maximum distance between the heart and a model Taser stimulation dart, called the dart-to-heart distance, at which the Taser can directly cause ventricular fibrillation (VF), was measured in pigs. A 9-mm-long blunt probe was advanced snugly through the surrounding tissues toward the heart. Five animals [pig mass=61.2+/-6.23 standard deviation (SD) kg] for ten dart-to-heart distances where the Taser caused VF were tested. The dart-to-heart distances where the Taser caused VF of the first stimulation site ranged from 4 to 8 mm with average 6.2 mm+/-1.79 (SD) and of the second stimulation site ranged from 2 to 8 mm with average 5.4 mm+/-2.41 (SD). The results help inform the evolving discussion of risks associated with Tasers.
Medical subject headings
- Electroshock
- Ventricular Fibrillation