SCOTTSDALE, AZ, - TASER International, Inc. (NASDAQ: TASR), a market leader in advanced electronic control devices announced today that seven abstracts documenting medical studies of TASER® technology were presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine during May 16-19 in Chicago that affirmed the general safety of the TASER device. These abstracts used human volunteers that underwent cardiovascular and physiologic evaluations on the effects of TASER activation in a human body and reached the following conclusions:
Does the TASER Cause Electrical Changes in Twelve Lead ECG Monitoring of Human Subjects, Gary Vilke, Christian Sloane, Saul Levine, Tom Neuman, Edward Castillo, and Theodore Chan, Acad. Emerg. Med. 2007; 14(5_Supplement_1): p. S104.
Conclusions: There were no cardiac dysrhythmia, interval or morphology changes in human subjects who received a TASER shock on evaluation of a 12 lead ECG performed immediately before and after TASER activation.
Serum Troponin I Measurement of Subjects Exposed to the TASER X-26, Christian Sloane, Gary Vilke, Theodore Chan, Saul Levine, and James Dunford, Acad. Emerg. Med. 2007; 14(5_Supplement_1): p. S103-b-104S -b.
Conclusions: Though limited by short shock duration, human volunteers exposed to a single shock from the TASER did not develop an abnormal serum troponin I level 6 hours after shock, suggesting that there was no myocardial necrosis.
The Impact of the TASER Weapon on Respiratory and Ventilatory Function in Human Subjects? Ted Chan, Christian Sloane, Tom Neuman, Saul Levine, Edward Castillo, Gary Vilke, Katie Bouton, and Fred Kohokorst, Acad. Emerg. Med. 2007; 14(5_Supplement_1): p. S191-b-192S -b.
Conclusions: In our study on human volunteers, VE, TV, and RR increased immediately following a standard TASER discharge, but returned to baseline within 10 minutes. There was no evidence of hypoxemia or hypoventilation in our study subjects.
Cardiovascular and Metabolic Effects of the TASER on Human Subjects, Gary Vilke, Christian Sloane, Katie Bouton, Saul Levine, Tom Neuman, Edward Castillo, Fred Kolkhorst, and Theodore Chan, Acad. Emerg. Med. 2007; 14(5_Supplement_1): p. S104-b-105S -b.
Conclusions: There were no clinically significant or lasting statistically significant changes in cardiovascular, electrolyte, lactate or pH levels in human subjects after a five second TASER activation.
Absence of Electrocardiographic Change Following Prolonged Application of a Conducted Electrical Weapon in Physically Exhausted Adults, Jeffrey Ho, Donald Dawes, Hugh Calkins, and Mark Johnson, Acad. Emerg. Med. 2007; 14(5_Supplement_1): p. S128-b-129S -b.
Conclusions: Prolonged 15 second CEW (Conducted Energy Weapon) application in a physically exhausted adult human sample did not cause a detectable change in their 12-lead ECGs. Theories of CEW induced dysrhythmias are not supported by our findings.
Physiologic Effects of Prolonged Conducted Electrical Weapon Discharge on Intoxicated Adults, Ronald Moscati, Jeffrey Ho, Donald Dawes, James Miner, Robert Reardon, William Heegaard, Timothy Mark Johnson, and Laura Bultman, Acad. Emerg. Med. 2007; 14(5_Supplement_1): p. S63-b-64S -b.
Conclusions: Intoxicated adults with prolonged CEW exposure demonstrate small transient increases in measures of acidosis and no change in markers of cardiac injury. The increased acidosis was not clinically significant and self corrected.
Physiologic Effects of Prolonged Conducted Electrical Weapon Discharge on Acidotic Adults, Jeffrey Ho, Donald Dawes, Laura Bultman, Ronald Moscati, Lisa Skinner, Jennifer Bahr, Robert Reardon, Mark Johnson, and James Miner, Acad. Emerg. Med. 2007; 14(5_Supplement_1): p. S63-a.
Conclusions: Markers of acidosis and cardiac injury were similar among acidotic subjects who underwent both sham and real prolonged CEW exposure. Prolonged CEW exposure in humans does not appear to have an effect with regard to worsening acidosis that is already present.
“We applaud these innovative physicians for the continual research as these are in many cases landmark human studies into the medical safety of our life-saving TASER systems,” said Rick Smith, CEO of TASER International. “These studies of human volunteers as it relates to cardiovascular and physiologic effects surrounding TASER technology continue to refute unfounded and inaccurate media reports of the TASER device causing in-custody deaths and affirm the general safety of TASER technology. We continue to encourage further medical studies.”
The abstracts can be viewed at:
http://www.aemj.org/content/vol14/5_Supplement_1/
Several of these studies were funded by the National Institute of Justice. Three of the seven studies were funded by an educational grant from TASER International. The funding source had no input on the study design, organization, results and manuscript preparation.
About the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine sponsor of the AEM Journal
The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) is dedicated to the improvement of care of the acutely ill and injured patient by improving research and education. To achieve this mission, SAEM influences health policy through forums, publications, inter-organizational collaboration, policy development, and consultation services for physicians, teachers, researchers, and students. SAEM represents excellence and leadership in academic emergency medicine and its values include idealism and quality in all endeavors, nurturing and camaraderie and diversity among members, as well as creative and symbiotic interactions with other organizations. Information on SAEM can be viewed at www.saem.org.
SAEM is the sponsor of the monthly, peer-reviewed journal, Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM). AEM publishes information relevant to the practice, educational advancements, and investigation of emergency medicine. The mission of the journal is to promote the advancement of emergency medicine research, education, and clinical practice. The research of SAEM members contributes significantly to the scientific content and development of the journal. AEM is governed by an Editorial Board led by Editor-in-Chief, Michelle H. Biros, MD. The electronic version of AEM can be found at www.aemj.org.
About TASER International, Inc.
TASER International provides advanced electronic control devices for use in the law enforcement, military, private security and personal defense markets. TASER® devices use proprietary technology to incapacitate dangerous, combative or high-risk subjects who pose a risk to law enforcement officers, innocent citizens or themselves in a manner that is generally recognized as a safer alternative to other uses of force. TASER technology saves lives every day, and the use of TASER devices dramatically reduces injury rates for police officers and suspects. For more information on TASER life-saving technology, please call TASER International at (800) 978-2737 or visit our website at www.TASER.com.