Quality & Patient Safety

Taser use in hospitals draws questions from some

Patient Safety Monitor Alert, August 25, 2010

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Although not common, the use of stun guns in hospitals is receiving some press lately after the nephew of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was subdued at a hospital in July by use of a stun gun. Tasers (a brand name) are more commonly associated with law enforcement officers, but the company that manufactures tasers says that 151 hospitals currently use or are testing tasers, reports The Washington Post. Although the company says hospitals create their own policies for use, some are using them to subdue violent patients.

Some experts say that the use of stun gun in patient units is troubling, and that discretion should be used when considering their purchase. However, other experts say that the hospital is sometimes a rowdy place and their use can prevent other patients and staff from becoming injured.

To read more from The Washington Post, click here.



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