Taser barb penetration causing phalangeal fracture

We present an unusual case of phalangeal fracture resulting from direct penetration by the barb of a conducted electrical weapon (Taser). When a Taser is triggered, compressed gas propels two barbs with trailing insulated wires which deliver a pulsed electrical discharge on contact. A 51-year-old man presented with a single barb of the Taser embedded in the diaphysis of the proximal phalanx and an associated open fracture. The barb was removed under local anaesthesia. The fracture was stable and was mobilised in a flexible splint. Oral antibiotics were commenced in recognition of the risk of flexor sheath and bone inoculation. While the most severe complications associated with Taser are related to the electrical component, the most common injuries are associated with falls and barb penetrations. Clinicians must be mindful of the risk of fracture, infection and soft tissue injury when such a foreign body penetrates a phalanx.

Lightning and Electrical Injury

There are multiple types of electrical injuries, which vary according to the type of electricity (alternating current or direct current) and the mechanism of contact. Electrical injuries caused by contact with alternating current are more commonly encountered in the household setting, while direct current is found in industrial accidents. Lightning injuries are rare in the United States but are much more common in developing countries due to a lack of access to infrastructure and more agrarian economies. This review includes an overview, assessment and stabilization, diagnosis, treatment and disposition, and outcomes for each of these types of injury. This review contains 2 figures, 18 tables, and 68 references. Keywords: Lightning, electrical injury, burn, voltage, alternating current, direct current, conducted electrical weapon, TASER, arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, myonecrosis, rhabdomyolysis