Guidelines for the management of CED exposure

August10, 2016

For those interested in custodial medicine and law enforcement, there are now new guidelines for the healthcare assessment and management of persons in police custody following conducted energy device (CED; TaserTM) exposure.  These guidelines have been added to the resources of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine (https://fflm.ac.uk/CEDHub/) and UK Association of Forensic Nurses and Paramedics (http://www.ukafn.org/ced) as specific online CED hubs with open access.  These resources include the full guidelines together with links to quick reference guides for clinicians (both ED and forensic), a fact sheet for those exposed to CEDs, examination proforma and body diagrams.  The guidelines provide a reference supporting clinicians in understanding the relevant principles involved in assessing those exposed to CEDs.  This includes a brief overview of CEDs currently used in the UK, their operation and, importantly, the nature of associated injuries.  There is an extensive section outlining the clinical assessment and criteria for Emergency Department referral, plus a wealth of other information and advice.