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Cardiac Arrhythmias

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TASER® Conducted Electrical Weapons: Physiology, Pathology, and Law

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More than a century ago, investigators demonstrated that large electrical stimuli can cause sudden cardiac arrest [1,2]. Direct electrical stimulation of the heart can cause ventricular fibrillation (VF), which is a rapid uncoordinated contraction of the heart muscle that causes a loss of blood flow to the heart, brain, and other tissues. VF rapidly leads to a loss of consciousness which is followed by death unless electrical defibrillation is performed within a few minutes. Many studies have been performed during the past century to investigate the different types and strengths of electrical stimuli that may initiate cardiac arrhythmias [3].

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  1. Departments of Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, and Physiology, University of Alabama-Birmingham, Volker Hall B140, 1670 University Blvd, 35294-0019, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Raymond E. Ideker

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  1. Derek J. Dosdall
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    Dosdall, D.J., Ideker, R.E. (2009). Cardiac Arrhythmias. In: Ho, J., Kroll, M. (eds) TASER® Conducted Electrical Weapons: Physiology, Pathology, and Law. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85475-5_9

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85475-5_9

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