Pancuronium

Death Penalty or Torture Penalty? Lethal injection is the popular way of executing inmates, as it is deemed a more humane way to complete the capital punishment sentence, but recent executions suggest otherwise. Lethal injection was first used in Nazi Germany by physicians who were ordered to euthanize disabled kids. It was through the Nazi Euthanasia program; it put to death kids and adults who were considered a hindrance to their society. Poison gas soon replaced euthanasia because it was…

Timing and Outcome of Therapeutic Hypothermia after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest A study published in 2009 aimed to evaluate the effects of the timing of therapeutic hypothermia treatments on the survival rates and subsequent neurological function at hospital discharge and also 6 and 12 months after the cardiac event. This study evaluated both the effects of the time which it took to reach the target temperature and the time during which the patient was induced into a mold hypothermic state.…

into both of the prisoner’s arms. The second needle is a backup incase something goes wrong with the first one. The first drug inserted into the prisoner’s bloodstream is a sedative, sodium thiopental that renders the prisoner unconscious. Next, pancuronium bromide is put into the intravenous line. This relaxes the muscles so much that it causes the lungs to stop functioning. Lastly, potassium chloride is inserted in the intravenous line, which stops the prisoner’s heart. The process takes…

In 1989, the infamous Theodore Bundy took his last breath as he paid for every murder and rape he had ever committed. After years of terrorizing the nation, Bundy had finally been seized and sentenced to death by electric chair. The Los Angeles Times described the people standing outside the prison, where Bundy was executed, as joyous while “a few were shocked at the celebration that filled the chilly morning air” (latimes.com). This was only one execution that has sent the nation into a frenzy…

Background Forms of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide have been a very controversial and widely-debated over topic for years. This occurrence, more sensitively called “aid in dying”, is when a doctor or trained medical professional administers a form of lethal medication which ends the recipient’s life. In the majority of cases, it is voluntary; the recipient has a terminal illness or is in such an extreme state of physical or, in some cases, mental sickness that they want to shorten…

Karissa Hoeppner The Death Penalty When the life of an innocent human being is taken away in the blink of an eye, the guilty party is usually sent to prison for life. As ridiculous as that sounds, it is what normally happens. This is not the best form of punishment in America but the kindest. Although it is cheaper to hold a criminal in prison for life, it hardly has any effect other than keeping the prisoner in a place where necessities are provided. Some would say the death penalty is…

Society turns to physicians to heal, to comfort and to alleviate suffering. As our understanding of living organisms and technology expands, so too does the role of the physicians. Quite often, controversy emerges over the ethics of these new roles. This usually leads to legal, social and professional changes. One such controversy is physician participation in capital punishment. The underlying purpose of this essay is not to provide a stance on the subject. Rather, the purpose is to question…

Many states that allow lethal injection normally use three drugs, The three-drug protocol uses an anesthetic or sedative, typically followed by pancuronium bromide to paralyze the inmate and potassium chloride to stop the prisoner 's heart. The sedative drug varies by state. This combination of drugs, however, is thought to be unethical in many court cases even though it is the “default” method in…

Capital Punishment 2,943 prisoners are currently on death row. Of those, only 60 are in a federal prison for infamous acts of murder. Capital punishment, or more commonly known as the death penalty/sentence, is a government type of punishment for committing capital crimes. Currently, the number of people on death row is high and is continuing to rise. Attorneys state that capital punishment is not justified for humans, even though it is. Capital punishment is a better choice than receiving a…

considered the least painful and most humane. The problem is even no one is exactly sure how painful the experience is. “The procedure typically involves the injection of three substances: first, sodium thiopental to induce anesthesia, followed by pancuronium bromide to relax muscles, and finally potassium chloride to stop the heart”(Motluk). In theory the first injection puts you to sleep, the second relaxes you, and the third speeds your heart up so much that it eventually gives out. The…