A shock to the chest from a taser or other electronic control devices (ECDs) may cause sudden cardiac arrest and death, according to a new study.

A researcher at the Indiana University School of Medicine (Indianapolis, USA) examined eight cases of Taser X26 ECD-induced loss of consciousness; all but one individual died. In each instance, when available, police, medical and emergency response records, ECD dataport interrogation, automated external defibrillator (AED) information, electrocardiogram (ECG) strips, depositions, and autopsy results were analyzed. All eight men had previously been clinically healthy, all received shocks in the anterior chest near or over the heart, and all lost consciousness during or immediately after the shock.

The results showed that ECD stimulation could cause cardiac electrical capture and provoke cardiac arrest due to ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF). After prolonged VT/VF without resuscitation, asystole developed. The researchers hypothesized that one of the potential mechanisms of ventricular fibrillation from a taser shock could come from a sudden loss of blood pressure from an initial shock-induced increase in heart rate, which is exacerbated by repeated shocks, potentially causing ischemia and subsequently provoking ventricular fibrillation. The study was published early online on April 30, 2012, in Circulation.

“Avoid chest shocks if possible, monitor the person following a shock, suspect the possibility of an arrhythmia in those who lose consciousness, and be prepared to resuscitate, including the use of an automated external defibrillator,” concluded and advised study author Douglas Zipes, MD.

The Taser X26, manufactured by Taser International (Scottsdale, AZ, USA), is classified as a nonlethal weapon; as such it is not considered a firearm, and therefore not regulated by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is, however, capable of delivering an initial shock of 50,000 volts, followed by shorter 1,200-volt shocks that the user can stop, repeat, or sustain longer. The safety of stun guns has been questioned, particularly by Amnesty International, which reported more than 500 deaths in the US following shocks from stun guns since 2001.

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