Leveraging Resources to Remove a Taser Barb Embedded in Bone: Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: Conducted electrical weapons, commonly known by their proprietary eponym, TASER, are frequently used by law enforcement. A review of the literature yielded descriptions of taser barb removal from soft tissue and surgical intervention for barbs lodged in sensitive areas such as the eye and head, but not from other osseous sites. Case Report: We report the case of a 30-year-old male transferred from another hospital with a taser dart embedded in his clavicle. Prior attempts at bedside removal had been unsuccessful. We describe bedside removal of the taser barb from bone using local anesthesia and simple fulcrum technique. Conclusion: We describe a novel fulcrum technique for removal of a taser dart embedded in bone. This is a reasonable technique to attempt in patients with involvement of superficial osseous structures to avoid operative intervention.