Heart surgeon: Taser could trigger a heart attack.

At least some counter testimony to Taser experts is finally emerging. Taser has been overly confident in maintaining that Taser's could never cause a heart attack. It is highly unlikely if used properly but then a recent case involved an 82 year old heart patient and the Taser was used because the police were in a hurry it would seem.



Wednesday » May 21 » 2008

Taser could trigger a heart attack
Heart surgeon tells inquiry the stun gun's consequences are not trivial

Neal Hall
Vancouver Sun
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The electrical shock from a police Taser stun gun could cause cardiac arrest, a Vancouver heart surgeon told a Taser inquiry Tuesday.
"One can conclude the risk of death from a Taser is small but not insignificant," said Dr. Michael Janusz, a heart surgeon at Vancouver General Hospital.
"Tasers must be regarded as being capable of causing cardiac arrest," he said. "The device appears to be safer for all concerned, including bystanders, than guns and clubs, but its consequences are not trivial."
He told inquiry commissioner Thomas Braidwood that hearts don't simply stop.
There has to be underlying heart disease or other contributing factors, such as lack of oxygen due to asphyxia or massive blood loss or severe metabolic abnormalities such as acidosis or abnormal potassium levels, Janusz said.
Tasers almost certainly can cause cardiac arrest, particularly in people with underlying heart disease, he said.
He also questioned the credibility of Taser International, the manufacturer of the gun, which delivers a five-second jolt that incapacitates the muscles. The company maintains Tasers do not cause cardiac arrest.
"This creates a problem with credibility of the company and could lead to difficulty in dealing with the company in matters of safety standards and training requirements," Janusz said.
The inquiry also heard from cardiologist Dr. Charles Kerr, a specialist in electrophysiology and head of the arrhythmia management program at St. Paul's Hospital and University of B.C.
He told the inquiry that a heart beats as the result of an electrical impulse. He was most concerned about how Taser use might affect the electrical function of the heart ventricles, the main pumping chambers of the heart.
There is a potential for Tasers to cause harm and cardiac arrest, Kerr said.
"It is my opinion that there is a small possibility that an electrical discharge from a Taser dart could directly induce ventricular fibrillation," he said.
Ventricular fibrillation is an extremely rapid rhythm in the lower chambers of the heart, which simply quivers and cannot pump blood. Unless it is interrupted, cardiac death follows, he said.
Kerr said the pain inflicted by a Taser causes intense muscle contraction, an increase in heart rate and adrenalin-like chemicals and sympathetic nerve discharge.
"This coupled with subsequent physical restraint of the individual could also result in the inability to breathe adequately and possibly a drop in oxygen levels and changes in the acid balance in the blood, which would make the patient more prone to ventricular arrhythmias."
While the Taser appears to be a much safer weapon than guns for both victims and police, police do not seem to recognize that Taser use could lead to death, Kerr said.
In such situations, he said, people should be ready to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use automatic external defibrillators.
Outside the inquiry, Kerr was asked by a reporter if he had an opinion about multiple shocks from a Taser. He said it would probably cause more muscle contraction and more acidosis of the blood.
"I think we need to know a lot more about them [Tasers]," he said. "My opinion is it's probably better than a bullet. There may be circumstances where there are no good alternatives."
The Taser inquiry was called by B.C.'s attorney-general after the death last Oct. 14 of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski, was Tasered and killed at the airport.
nhall@png.canwest.com
What's next at the inquiry
- Dr. John Butt, a pathologist, and Dr. Maelor Vallance, a psychiatrist, will make presentations at the inquiry at Federal Court, 701 West Georgia.
© The Vancouver Sun 2008

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