Shetty Arnav, Solis Waldo Gerard, Brooks Michael, Abraszko Renata
Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Department of Neurosurgery, John Hunter Hospital, New Lambton, New South Wales, Australia.
BMJ Case Rep. 2024 Dec 15;17(12):e261108. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2024-261108.
Although conducted electrical weapons (CEWs) such as the Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle (TASER) provide a less lethal means for subduing persons than firearms or stun guns, they have the potential to cause adverse injury. This report discusses the intracranial penetration of a TASER dart.We present a case of a woman in her early 40s who was subdued by New South Wales Police with a TASER. The dart impacted her skull resulting in a tonic-clonic seizure. Examination and imaging in the emergency department revealed intracranial penetration to a depth of 4 mm. An emergency craniotomy was performed. She had no neurological deficits and subsequently discharged herself from the hospital.This case demonstrates that penetrating head injury causing brain injury with subsequent seizures is possible with TASER use, contrary to common belief. While they are not intended to penetrate the skull, traumatic brain injury requiring neurosurgical intervention should be considered if CEWs such as TASER are pointed at the human head, especially at shorter ranges. This report demonstrates that utmost caution should be ensured with their use. We outline the weapon's mechanism, review the literature and discuss the physical properties of the collision in order to investigate the likelihood of intracranial injury.
尽管诸如托马斯·A·斯威夫特电步枪（泰瑟枪）之类的导电式电子武器（CEWs）相较于枪支或电击枪提供了一种致死性较低的制服人员手段，但它们仍有可能造成不良伤害。本报告讨论了一枚泰瑟枪飞镖的颅内穿透情况。我们报告了一例40岁出头女性被新南威尔士州警方使用泰瑟枪制服的案例。飞镖击中其颅骨，导致了强直阵挛性发作。急诊科的检查和影像学检查显示飞镖颅内穿透深度达4毫米。遂进行了急诊开颅手术。她没有神经功能缺损，随后自行出院。该案例表明，与普遍看法相反，使用泰瑟枪时可能会导致穿透性头部损伤并造成脑损伤，继而引发癫痫发作。虽然泰瑟枪并非设计用于穿透颅骨，但如果像泰瑟枪这样的导电式电子武器指向人体头部，尤其是在较近距离时，应考虑到可能需要神经外科干预的创伤性脑损伤情况。本报告表明，使用泰瑟枪时应格外谨慎。我们概述了该武器的作用机制，回顾了相关文献，并讨论了碰撞的物理特性，以研究颅内损伤的可能性。
