Abstract
Objective: Law enforcement represents a large population of workers who may be exposed to electronic control devices (ECDs). Little is known about the potential effect of exposure to these devices on respiration or cardiovascular response during current discharge.Methods: Participants (N = 23) were trainees exposed to 5 s of an ECD (Taser X26®) as a component of training. Trainees were asked to volitionally inhale during exposure. Respiratory recordings involved a continuous waveform recorded throughout the session including during the exposure period. Heart rate was calculated from a continuous pulse oximetry recording.Results: The exposure period resulted in the cessation of normal breathing patterns in all participants and in particular a decrease in inspiratory activity. No significant changes in heart rate during ECD exposure were found.Conclusion: This is the first study to examine breathing patterns during ECD exposure with the resolution to detect changes over this discrete period of time. In contrast to reports suggesting respiration is unaffected by ECDs, present evidence suggests that voluntary inspiration is severely compromised. There is no evidence of cardiac disruption during ECD exposure.
Highlights
Electronic control devices (ECDs) are widely used both nationally and internationally in law enforcement as an alternative to lethal force
VOLITIONAL BREATHING As can be seen in Table 3, most trainees could recall either in the positive or negative their ability to breathe during ECD exposure
The results show an absence of inspiratory movement during ECD exposure
Summary
Electronic control devices (ECDs) are widely used both nationally and internationally in law enforcement as an alternative to lethal force. Little is known about the impact of ECD exposure on respiration. Vilke et al (2007) reported respiration in terms of rate, minute ventilation, and tidal volume sampled over several minutes. Two types of exposures were examined: a single continuous 15-s exposure and a routine of three 5-s exposures, each separated by 1-s for a total duration of 17-s For both types of exposure tidal volume did not differ between the period preceding exposure and during exposure. Dawes et al (2010a,b, 2011) published a series of papers that examined respiration (e.g., respiration rate, tidal volume, minute volume) using a breath-by-breath analyzer for various ECD exposures (either two or three consecutive 5-s exposures to TASER X26, 10-s exposures to TASER X3, and 30-s exposure to TASER C2, respectively). The available published data suggest that ECD exposures have minimal impact on respiration
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