@article{ref1,
title="Physiologic effects of the TASER after exercise",
journal="Academic emergency medicine",
year="2009",
author="Vilke, Gary M. and Sloane, Christian M. and Suffecool, Amanda and Kolkhorst, Fred W. and Neuman, Tom S. and Castillo, Edward M. and Chan, Theodore C.",
volume="16",
number="8",
pages="704-710",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: Incidents of sudden death following TASER exposure are poorly studied, and substantive links between TASER exposure and sudden death are minimal. The authors studied the effects of a single TASER exposure on markers of physiologic stress in humans. METHODS: This prospective, controlled study evaluated the effects of a TASER exposure on healthy police volunteers after vigorous exercise, compared to a subsequent, identical exercise session that was not followed by TASER exposure. Subjects exercised to 85% of predicted heart rate (HR) on an ergometer and then were given a standard 5-second TASER activation. Measures before and for 60 minutes after the TASER activation included minute ventilation, tidal volume, respiratory rate, end-tidal pCO(2), oxygen saturation, HR, blood pressure (systolic BP/diastolic BP), 12-lead electrocardiogram, and arterialized blood for pH, pO(2), pCO(2), and lactate. Each subject repeated the exercise and data collection session on a subsequent data, without TASER activation. Data were analyzed using paired Student's t-tests with differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Statistical significance was adjusted for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: A total of 25 officers (21 men and 4 women) completed both portions of the study. After adjusting for multiple comparisons, the TASER group was significantly higher for systolic BP at baseline (difference of 14.1, 95% CI = 8.7 to 19.5, p < 0.001) and HR at 5, 30, and 60 minutes with the largest difference at 30 minutes (difference of 7.0, 95% CI = 2.5 to 11.5, p = 0.004). There were no other significant differences between the two groups in any other measure at any time. CONCLUSIONS: A 5-second exposure of a TASER following vigorous exercise to healthy law enforcement personnel does not result in clinically significant changes in ventilatory or blood parameters of physiologic stress.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1069-6563",
doi="10.1111/j.1553-2712.2009.00458.x",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1553-2712.2009.00458.x"
}