Prisoner PTS.

Re: Prisoner PTS.

Hanna Bennett — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:45:48 GMT

discussing this subject with Dan Holden on CPD yesterday as it happens - apparently it is three drugs, can't remember what the first one was, either a sedative or induction agent, then a muscle relaxant, and then the potassium - apparently the concern is that the potassium chloride stings like hell and some people were still conscious when this is happening so this defeats the object of 'humane' killing (whole 'nother debate there....)

And the reason it took them 2 hours to get a vein is that medically trained staff are not allowed to place the catheter as this would constitute 'helping someone to die' which of course is euthanasia and so illegal, so the people who place the iv access are lay staff.... fun!

Re: Prisoner PTS.

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:49:28 GMT

The Chinese (People's Republic) have a more efficient method.

Re: Prisoner PTS.

Stephen Courtney — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:45:11 GMT

I believe that humans are way more sensitive to barbiturates than dogs or cats - but I also believe that the lethal injection cocktail used in the States as an execution tool includes paralytics and potassium chloride. There are also three separate people injecting simultaneously, only one of which has a lethal bolus, the other two are - ? placebos ?

So the plumbing is potentially pretty complicated - but I had a bad vein day today, so can anyone!