Inadequate anaesthesia in lethal injection for execution

Leonidas G. Koniaris; Teresa A. Zimmers; David Lubarsky; Jonathan P. Sheldon

doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66377-5

Inadequate anaesthesia in lethal injection for execution

Leonidas G. Koniaris, Teresa A. Zimmers, David Lubarsky, Jonathan P. Sheldon

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

41 Scopus citations

Abstract

Anaesthesia during lethal injection is essential to minimise suffering and to maintain public acceptance of the practice. Lethal injection is usually done by sequential administration of thiopental, pancuronium, and potassium chloride. Protocol information from Texas and Virginia showed that executioners had no anaesthesia training, drugs were administered remotely with no monitoring for anaesthesia, data were not recorded and no peer-review was done. Toxicology reports from Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina showed that post-mortem concentrations of thiopental in the blood were lower than that required for surgery in 43 of 49 executed inmates (88%); 21 (43%) inmates had concentrations consistent with awareness. Methods of lethal injection anaesthesia are flawed and some inmates might experience awareness and suffering during execution.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1412-1414
Number of pages	3
Journal	Lancet
Volume	365
Issue number	9468
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66377-5
State	Published - Apr 16 2005
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Medicine(all)

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AU - Zimmers, Teresa A.

AU - Lubarsky, David

AU - Sheldon, Jonathan P.

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