Physiological Effects of a Spit Restraint Device Saturated With Artificial Saliva.

Background: Spit restraint devices, also referred to as spit hoods, spit masks, or spit socks, are used by law enforcement and medical personnel to minimize transmission of communicable disease from bodily fluids from agitated individuals. Several lawsuits have implicated spit restraint devices as contributing to the death of individuals who are physically restrained by means of asphyxiation due to saturation of the mesh restraint device with saliva.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate whether a saturated spit restraint device has any clinically significant effects on the ventilatory or circulatory parameters of healthy adult subjects.

Physiological effects of a spit sock.

Objectives: Healthcare providers and law enforcement utilize spit socks to prevent exposure to communicable diseases transmitted by bodily fluid projection from agitated individuals. There are cases in which death is reported due to breathing being limited by a spit sock. There are no formally published studies on their use and safety.

Physiologic effects of the TASER after exercise.

Objectives: Incidents of sudden death following TASER exposure are poorly studied, and substantive links between TASER exposure and sudden death are minimal. The authors studied the effects of a single TASER exposure on markers of physiologic stress in humans.

Methods: This prospective, controlled study evaluated the effects of a TASER exposure on healthy police volunteers after vigorous exercise, compared to a subsequent, identical exercise session that was not followed by TASER exposure.

Serum troponin I measurement of subjects exposed to the Taser X-26.

The Taser is a high-voltage, low-amperage conducted energy device used by many law enforcement agencies as a less lethal force weapon. The objective of this study was to evaluate for a rise in serum troponin I level after deployment of the Taser on law enforcement training volunteers. A prospective, observational cohort study was performed evaluating serum troponin I levels in human subjects 6 h after an exposure to the Taser X-26.

Thoracic spine compression fracture after TASER activation.

The TASER is a less lethal weapon seeing increased use by police jurisdictions across the country. As a result, subjects of TASER use are being seen with increasing frequency in emergency departments across the country. The potential injury patterns of the device are important for emergency physicians to understand.

Physiological effects of a conducted electrical weapon on human subjects.

Study Objective: Sudden death after a conducted electrical weapon exposure has not been well studied. We examine the effects of a single Taser exposure on markers of physiologic stress in healthy humans.

Methods: This is a prospective trial investigating the effects of a single Taser exposure.

Cardiac monitoring of human subjects exposed to the taser.

The Taser (TASER International, Scottsdale, AZ) is a high-voltage, low-amperage device used by many law enforcement agencies. Our objective in this study was to evaluate for rhythm changes utilizing cardiac monitoring during deployment of the Taser on volunteers. A prospective, observational study evaluated law enforcement personnel who had continuous electrocardiographic monitoring immediately before, during, and after having a voluntary exposure to the Taser X-26.