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Acute effects of an alternative electronic-control-device waveform in swine

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Abstract

In previous studies, repeated 5-s exposures of anesthetized pigs 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 the 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 pigs were exposed to either 30- or 60-s applications of an electronic waveform similar to the TASER-X26 device. Transient increases in 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 hrs. Serum myoglobin was increased after exposure and remained elevated for the 3-h follow-up period. Acidosis would appear to be one of the major concerns with long-duration (e.g., several min) exposures over a short period of time. Even with the extremely low pH immediately after exposure, all animals survived. On the basis of these 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.

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Acknowledgments

We thank William Snyder, DVM, Major, Veterinary Corps, U.S. Army, and Specialist Nancy Meadows, U.S. Army, for surgically implanting the jugular venous catheters. We thank Specialist Michael Palmerin, and Sergeant Bennie Mitchell, U.S. Army, for anesthesia maintenance, and David Fines and Melissa Tarango, Advanced Information Engineering Services (A General Dynamics Company), for technical assistance during the experiments. James Parker and John Ashmore, Advanced Information Engineering Services, assisted in operation of the electronic stimulator. This study was funded by the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program, U.S. Marine Corps, Quantico, VA.

Conflict of Interest

The authors have not had any relationship with any manufacturers of electronic control devices, including employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding.

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  1. U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing, 8262 Hawks Road, Brooks City-Base, TX, 78235-5147, USA

    James Jauchem, Charles W. Beason & Michael C. Cook

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  1. James Jauchem
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  2. Charles W. Beason
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  3. Michael C. Cook
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Correspondence to James Jauchem.

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Jauchem, J., Beason, C.W. & Cook, M.C. Acute effects of an alternative electronic-control-device waveform in swine. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 5, 2–10 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-009-9076-x

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