CMAJ • March 17, 2009; 180 (6). doi:10.1503/cmaj.081364.
© 2009 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors
All editorial matter in CMAJ represents the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Research

Case report

Generalized tonic-clonic seizure after a taser shot to the head

Esther T. Bui, MD, Myra Sourkes, MD and Richard Wennberg, MD

From the Division of Neurology, Krembil Neuroscience Centre, University Health Network, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.

Correspondence to: Dr. Richard Wennberg, Toronto Western Hospital, Ste. 5W444, 399 Bathurst St., Toronto ON M5T 2S8; fax 416 603-5768; r.wennberg{at}utoronto.ca

During a police chase on foot, a previously well police officer was hit mistakenly by a taser shot meant for the suspect. The taser gun had been fired once, sending 2 barbed darts into his upper back and occiput. Within seconds, the officer collapsed and experienced a generalized tonic-clonic seizure with loss of consciousness and postictal confusion. Subsequent magnetic resonance imaging scans of the head and electroencephalograms were normal. The patient has experienced no recurrence of seizure over more than a year of follow-up. This report shows that a taser shot to the head may result in a brain-specific complication such as generalized tonic-clonic seizure. It also suggests that seizure should be considered an adverse event related to taser use.


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Can. Med. Assoc. J. 2009 180: 589. [Full Text] [PDF]

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eLetters:

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TASER SHOT AND SEIZURE PRONE POLICEMAN
ABDUL MAJID WANI
CMAJ, 23 Mar 2009 [Full text]