Christa Pike's survival of two lethal injection doses during her scheduled execution in Tennessee has raised fresh questions about what pentobarbital actually does to the body, both when administered correctly and when something goes wrong.
What pentobarbital actually is
Dr Jonathan Groner, Emeritus Professor of Clinical Surgery at Ohio State University College of Medicine, explained to UNILAD that pentobarbital is a short-acting barbiturate, typically used to treat seizures, induce medically necessary comas in patients with severe head trauma, or for procedural sedation. It is no longer used for general anaesthesia.
What happens when it's administered correctly versus incorrectly
According to Groner, the drug becomes significantly less effective if it leaks from the vein or if the IV line fails to properly enter a blood vessel, in which case it ends up under the skin rather than in circulation and doesn't work as intended. If administered correctly, a person should stop breathing and die within 15 to 20 minutes. Groner said pain during the process is unlikely if the drug is delivered properly, but highly likely if it isn't.
The risks raised ahead of the execution
A 2019 federal court ruling in Ohio previously found that pulmonary edema, a complication that can occur during botched lethal injections, is painful both physically and emotionally, inducing "a sense of drowning and the attendant panic and terror, much as would occur with the torture tactic known as waterboarding." Matt Wells, Deputy Director of Reprieve US, had separately warned UNILAD in July of a "high risk" that Pike could suffer "a prolonged and agonizing death," pointing to the earlier botched execution attempt of Tony Carruthers, who he said was strapped to a gurney for over an hour while staff attempted to establish an IV line more than a dozen times. Wells said research shows more than a quarter of botched lethal injections in the modern era have lasted over an hour, adding: "The fact that Tennessee is doubling down on this broken execution method, so soon after torturing a man in the chamber, is beyond belief."
Where things stand now
Journalists present during Pike's execution attempt reported hearing her snoring loudly for up to 40 minutes after the drug was administered. She remains hospitalised following the failed attempt. The Tennessee Department of Correction has maintained it "followed every step of the State's lawful, established execution protocol approved by the Attorney General's Office," adding: "The lethal injection chemical in the protocol has consistently been effective, and the protocol does not allow for additional procedures beyond what was carried out this evening."
