Someone left a very interesting comment (the 8th) on the National Post. [LINK] The referenced video on YouTube [LINK] is a must-see.
National Post Comment (#8):
When Jeffrey D. Ho presented to a Taser task force in Palo Alto CA, he acknowledged that Taser Intl. funds his research and pays him as a consultant.
But then he [...] about the findings of his research on the effects of Taser on resting adults, repeatedly saying: "We did not find a thing". His paper actually reached a different conclusion: after Taser shocks, the blood tests showed signs of muscle injury, similar to that seen following exertion, even though the subjects were at rest. One of the test subjects was admitted to the hospital after blood tests revealed possible heart damage.
[Wow - is that true? Any pointers?]
His [...] is captured on video, at... YouTube [LINK] ..., and you can read the paper for yourself. Of course, an attempt was made to hide the video, by using a bogus claim of copyright infringement. Make no mistake: Taser Intl., and their partners in government, are playing extremely aggressively - and playing by their own rules.
Video notes:
The police chief in Palo Alto CA wants Tasers. The City Council appointed a task force to advise the Council. On March 27, 2007 Jeffrey Ho, M.D. and consultant for Taser Intl., presented to the task force the findings of his research on the effects of Taser on resting adults. Although Ho told the task force "We did not find a thing", his paper actually reached a different conclusion: after Taser shocks, the blood tests showed signs of muscle injury, similar to that seen following exertion, even though the subjects were at rest.
Ho has not responded to requests to explain the significant difference between what he published and what he told the task force. Instead, an attempt was made to yank the video from public view, with a claim of copyright infringement. The claim was dropped when contested.
The Palo Alto City Council has not publicly sought any clarification of the only medical presentation received by its Taser task force.
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2 comments:
Quote:
One of the test subjects was admitted to the hospital after blood tests revealed possible heart damage.
[Wow - is that true? Any pointers?]
End quote
This is stated in Ho's paper on the experiment and its results: "Cardiovascular and Physiologic Effects of Conducted Electrical Weapon Discharge in Resting Adults"
Acad Emerg Med Volume 13, Issue6 589-595
Here is the passage:
"The single subject with the slight elevation of troponin I level [indicator of heart muscle damage] was initially concerning. All of this subject's troponin levels remained within the normal range (laboratory reference normal is 0.0–0.4 ng/mL) except for the single level drawn at 24 hours after CEW exposure. This level was 0.6 ng/mL. It should be noted that this subject was a very fit and athletic individual and had performed a rigorous aerobic workout regimen without difficulty about three hours before the CEW exposure. Despite being asymptomatic and feeling well, he was immediately taken to a hospital where he underwent admission and extensive cardiac evaluation from a group of consulting cardiologists. His initial troponin level at the hospital was drawn within eight hours of his elevated level and was 0.1 ng/mL. His inpatient evaluation included a treadmill stress test (Treadmill Myoview test utilizing standard Bruce protocol with a double product of 24,335 achieved) and a rest/adenosine-augmented stress gated tomographic myocardial perfusion study utilizing Tc99m radiopharmaceutical injection. The results of both tests were interpreted as normal. There were several explanations offered as possible causes by the consulting cardiologists. These included laboratory error, delayed clearance of troponin related to subject baseline physiology, or idiopathic and indeterminate etiology. There was agreement that there was no indication of myocardial damage or ischemia, and the subject was allowed to return to regular duty without limitations."
Although Ho burdened the Palo Alto task force and community members with many insignificant details, he neglected to mention that they expected, and did find, indications of muscle injury following the Tasering of rested adults, just as if they'd done an aerobic workout or weightlifting. Nor did he mention this unexplained case of troponin elevation after Tasering, in "a very fit and athletic individual". He simply kept repeating: "We did not find a thing".
Ho lied to members of the Palo Alto city government and the community, and was paid by Taser International. And Taser got the order: all Palo Alto police now carry Tasers.
Thank you very much for that additional detail. Your characterization of Ho's statement does not appear to be unfair given the details.
And being an 'indicator of heart muscle damage', another possible explanation is that THE TASER AFFECTED THE HEART. This is obvious in spite of the overly-stretch wording that tries to avoid mentioning this obvious conclusion.
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