Acute stress cardiomyopathy and deaths associated with electronic weapons

International Journal of Cardiology
Cihan CevikKenneth Nugent

Abstract

Deaths associated with the use of electronic weapons almost always occur in young men involved in either civil disturbances or criminal activity. These situations are associated with high levels of circulating catecholamines and frequently associated with drug intoxication. The mechanism for these deaths is unclear. Clinical studies indicate that these high voltage electrical pulses do not cause cardiac arrhythmia. Acute stress cardiomyopathy provides an alternative explanation for deaths associated with electronic weapons and may provide a better explanation for the usual time course associated with taser deaths. Patients with acute stress cardiomyopathy usually have had an emotional or physical stress, have high circulating levels of catecholamines, present with an acute coronary syndrome but have normal coronary vessels without significant thrombus formation. They have unusual left ventricular dysfunction with so-called apical ballooning. This presentation has been attributed to the direct effects of catecholamines on myocardial cell function. Alternative explanations include vasospasm in the coronary microcirculation and/or acute thrombosis followed by rapid thrombolysis. Similar events could occur during the high stress si...Continue Reading

References

Mar 1, 1987·The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology·S B Karch
Jun 22, 1996·Lancet·R VirmaniA Burke
Feb 13, 2001·European Journal of Haematology·R von Känel, J E Dimsdale
Mar 12, 2003·Journal of the American College of Cardiology·Yoshiteru AbeHitoshi Tanio
Mar 12, 2003·Journal of the American College of Cardiology·Satoshi KurisuHikaru Sato
Jul 9, 2004·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Takashi Ueyama
Apr 20, 2005·International Journal of Cardiology·Yung-Tsung ChiuYun-Ching Fu
Mar 23, 2006·Academic Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine·Jeffrey D HoWilliam G Heegaard
May 25, 2006·European Heart Journal·Monica GianniEva Lonn
Sep 9, 2006·Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/hemostasis : Official Journal of the International Academy of Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis·Iren B Kovacs, Junichiro Yamamoto
Sep 26, 2006·Prehospital Emergency Care : Official Journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors·Jared Strote, H Range Hutson
Aug 28, 2007·Annals of Emergency Medicine·Gary M VilkeTheodore C Chan
Dec 18, 2007·The American Journal of Emergency Medicine·Gary M VilkeTheodore C Chan
Dec 27, 2007·Circulation Journal : Official Journal of the Japanese Circulation Society·Teruyoshi KumeKiyoshi Yoshida
Feb 5, 2008·Journal of Nuclear Cardiology : Official Publication of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology·Christof BurgdorfVolkhard Kurowski
Feb 26, 2008·The Journal of Emergency Medicine·Christian M SloaneGary M Vilke
Dec 3, 2008·International Journal of Cardiology·Andrew J S Coats

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Dec 2, 2009·Current Heart Failure Reports·Divya Kapoor, Kevin A Bybee
Feb 8, 2013·Critical Care : the Official Journal of the Critical Care Forum·Kyoung-Ha ParkWoo Jung Park
Mar 13, 2014·Journal of Neurosurgery. Spine·Hamed Reihani KermaniMajid Asadi-Shekaari
May 4, 2012·Annales de cardiologie et d'angéiologie·H Ben AhmedM R Boujnah
Jan 24, 2012·Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases : the Official Journal of National Stroke Association·Wei-Hsi ChenHsin-Ling Yin
Jul 30, 2011·Forensic Science International : Synergy·Jeffrey D HoJames R Miner
May 7, 2011·Annals of Emergency Medicine·Mathieu PasquierBertrand Yersin
Jul 27, 2010·Academic Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine·Jeffrey D HoJames R Miner
Apr 12, 2017·Sudebno-meditsinskaia ekspertiza·I V Kondratova, K Yu Kulinkovich
Dec 25, 2009·The Journal of Trauma·Jared StroteH Range Hutson
Feb 16, 2013·British Journal of Hospital Medicine·Andrew C Morley-SmithElmir Omerovic
Apr 8, 2017·International Scholarly Research Notices·Kenneth NugentDolores Buscemi
Jul 14, 2020·Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine·Richard Stevenson, Ian Drummond-Smith

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Adrenergic Receptors: Trafficking

Adrenergic receptor trafficking is an active physiological process where adrenergic receptors are relocated from one region of the cell to another or from one type of cell to another. Discover the latest research on adrenergic receptor trafficking here.

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle, that can lead to muscular or electrical dysfunction of the heart. It is often an irreversible disease that is associated with a poor prognosis. There are different causes and classifications of cardiomyopathies. Here are the latest discoveries pertaining to this disease.

Arrhythmia

Arrhythmias are abnormalities in heart rhythms, which can be either too fast or too slow. They can result from abnormalities of the initiation of an impulse or impulse conduction or a combination of both. Here is the latest research on arrhythmias.

Cardiogenic Shock

Cardiogenic shock is a devastating consequence of acute myocardial infarction and is associated with an extremely high mortality. Here is the latest research.

Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia that is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, particularly due to stroke and thromboembolism. Here is the latest research.

Blood Clotting Disorders

Thrombophilia includes conditions with increased tendency for excessive blood clotting. Blood clotting occurs when the body has insufficient amounts of specialized proteins that make blood clot and stop bleeding. Here is the latest research on blood clotting disorders.

Related Papers

Academic Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Charles D SwerdlowPatrick Tchou
The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
Mohammad OtahbachiKenneth Nugent
Academic Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Jeffrey D HoJames R Miner
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved