BREATHING PARAMETERS, VENOUS GASES, AND CHEMISTRIES WITH EXPOSURE TO A NEW WIRELESS PROJECTILE CONDUCTED ELECTRICAL WEAPON
D. M. Dawes1; J. Ho2; M. Johnson3; J. Miner2; E. Lundin3
1. Lompoc District Hospital, Lompoc, CA, USA.
2. Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
3. TASER International, Scottsdale, AZ, USA.
Presented at Fourth Mediterranean Emergency Medicine Congress (MEMC IV), Sorento, Italy
ID# W2.103 -
Location: Poster Hall (Hilton Sorrento Palace)
Time of Presentation: September 19, 2007 - 2:00 PM
Category: Other
INTRODUCTION: The TASER X26 conducted electrical weapon (CEW) has a maximum range of 35 feet. TASER International has developed a new non-tethered CEW that is fired from a 12-gauge shotgun that has a longer range. A previous study showed that the TASER X26 had no significant effect on respiratory parameters. Here we examine the effects of this new CEW on respiration, venous blood gases, and certain blood chemistries.
METHODS: Subjects had venipuncture prior to and immediately after the CEW exposure, and venous samples were analyzed to obtain venous pH, pCO2, HCO3, lactate, Na, and K. Breathing data was collected by a breath by breath gas-exchange system. All subjects were exposed for a minimum of 15 seconds. Exposure was thoraco-abdominal. In 27 subjects, the device was programmed for a 45-second exposure. The subjects could terminate the exposure after 15 seconds. In 23 subjects, the exposure was fixed at 20 seconds. In 4 of these subjects, the device was programmed to deliver 2 exposures. The first exposure was the standard thoraco-abdominal exposure, and the second was between the contra-lateral abdomen and the thigh.
RESULTS: Fifty (50) subjects completed the study. In the self-terminating group, respiratory rate and minute ventilation increased significantly during the exposure. End-tidal CO2 decreased significantly during exposure. Venous pH decreased by 0.023, pO2 increased by 13.4, HCO3 decreased by 2.8, lactate increased by 2.4, and potassium decreased by 0.13. In the fixed 20-second exposure group, respiratory rate and minute ventilation increased significantly during the exposure. End-tidal CO2 decreased and end-tidal O2 increased significantly during exposure. Venous pH did not significantly change. pCO2 decreased by 4.0, pO2 increased by 16.3, HCO3 decreased by 3.4, and lactate increased by 2.7. Chemistries had no significant change.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the new CEW has no important deleterious effects on respiratory parameters, blood chemistries, or venous blood gases. These results are consistent with previous results for the TASER X26 CEW.
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