Acute Effects of an Alternative Electronic-Control-Device Waveform in Swine

In previous studies, repeated 5-s exposures of anesthetized swine to an electronic control device (TASER International's Advanced TASER X26 device) resulted in acidosis and increases in blood electrolytes. In the current study, experiments were performed to investigate effects of longer continu...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jauchem, James R, Beason, Charles W, Cook, Michael C
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
ACIDOSIS
ANESTHESIA
Biology
BLOOD CHEMISTRY
CONDUCTED ELECTRICAL WEAPON
CONTROL
Defense Systems
Electrical and Electronic Equipment
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRO-MUSCULAR DISRUPTION
ELECTROLYTES
ELECTRONIC CONTROL DEVICE
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EXPOSURE(PHYSIOLOGY)
FORENSIC ANALYSIS
INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTIONS
MUSCLE CONTRACTION
MUSCLES
MYOGLOBINEMIA
MYOGLOBULIN
NONLETHAL WEAPONS
Radiofrequency Wave Propagation
REPRINTS
SWINE
TASER-X26
WAVEFORMS
WEAPONS
WUAFRL7757B348
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Summary:In previous studies, repeated 5-s exposures of anesthetized swine to an electronic control device (TASER International's Advanced TASER X26 device) resulted in acidosis and increases in blood electrolytes. In the current study, experiments were performed to investigate effects of longer continuous exposures to a different electronic control device waveform. After intramuscular injection of tiletamine HCl and zolazepam HCl, anesthesia was maintained with propofol infusion. Ten swine were exposed to either 30- or 60-s applications of an electronic waveform similar to the TASER-X26 device. Transient increases in hematocrit, potassium and sodium were consistent with previous reports in the literature dealing with studies of muscle stimulation or exercise. Blood pH was significantly decreased after exposure, but subsequently returned to baseline levels. Lactate was highly elevated and remained somewhat increased even after three hr post-exposure. Serum myoglobin was increased after exposure and remained elevated for the 3-hr follow-up period. The acidosis would appear to be one of the major concerns regarding long-duration (e.g., several min) exposures in a short period of time. Even with the extremely low pH immediately after exposure, all animals survived. On the basis of the results, further development of useful continuous-exposure electronic control devices is at least feasible, with the caveat that some medical monitoring of subjects may be required. Published in Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology, v5 p2-10, 2009.