I won't address the tasering a person cuffed to the cot. Taser requires three conditions to be fully effective:
1. Penetration of clothes & skin to reach more conductive tissue, as both skin & clothes are insulators at the dose of electricity that is used
2. Both probes to have a conductive path to each other, as they form an alternating current circut & both probes are required to make a circuit
3. That path needs to be through a muscle that would cause incapacitation.
There is the possibility of minescule leakage maybe if you're grabbing the patient between the probes, but it wouldn't be incapacitating. There would be at least 2 barriers (your skin & patients skin) preventing the cot or cuffs from being an effective source of a shock, excluding the paint etc on the cot. So no, not really a risk.
Statistically, Tasers or Conducted Energy Devices have a relatively safe track records for adverse events. Unfortunately the Media sensationalizes the few, infrequent tragic events.
Taser Probe/Dart insertions into the skin are not required, in some Taser models, to deliver a shock.
Some Taser models have a "Drive-Stun" option that is usually used as a follow up application of voltage after the initial Taser deployment and is at a lower power setting used for follow up Pain Compliance.
To answer the OP;
Contact Burns from a Taser Dart are almost all non-existent during effective Taser Deployments, (if the probe/dart is sufficiently embedded and remains in the body).
Most of the time when a Person experiences a residual "Contact Mark" from the application of a Taser it is usually from a "Contact Application" at full power and the Person is trashing around causing the Taser to lose full contact with the body which produces a small electrical arc from the Taser to the skin, (a Contact Application is Taser to Body contact vs using the Probes/Darts). The other possible causes of a Contact Mark can involve a flammable substance/item on the body, such as alcohol, fuel etc).
Your risk from being electrocuted via a secondary connection to a person being Tasered is very slim, (unless a person has a comorbidity or other underlying heath issue etc).
I'm more concerned about the effects of an inadvertent shock from an AED than a Taser.
Electrocution by definition is the application of High Amperage and/or High Voltage electrical current to the body. In theory, a Taser applies low amperage via high voltage to immediately contract large muscle groups and induce pain.
An AED application of current has a much higher risk in injuring a crew member than a Taser application, (as the AED delivers a MUCH higher Amperage than a Taser. Taser = 3-4 Milliamps vs. an average AED delivers up to 360 Joules @ 3000 volts @ 16 Amps).
Have people died after the application of a high voltage charge from a Taser? Yes, but its very infrequent and usually involves multiple adverse health issues/events at the time of the shock application, (such as Drug/Alcohol Intoxication, Comorbidities, etc).
Note: A Medical Triage item that Public Safety Personnel frequently overlook after a taser deployment is the possibility of Rhabdomyolysis, especially after a Patient has been involved in a prolonged foot pursuit, assault or other physical activities during an event.
If anyone would like to "Ride the Lightning" we can arrange a brief training session, just bring the IPA for recovery..lol
Eric Wee Weo and I were typing at the same time...Good info Sir!
Btw, I have 4 "Personal Training Rides" logged so far...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
www.jems.com
www.jointemsprotocols.com
