How it works

Electric chair’s end? The race issue Away from floor, little interest How it works

By TIMES STAFF WRITER

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 7, 2000

Usually, a lethal injection is performed by strapping an inmate to a gurney, inserting a catheter in a vein and injecting a non-lethal solution. After the prisoner is given a chance for a final statement, the execution team begins infusing the chemicals.

The typical lethal cocktail calls for three widely available drugs:

The first is a non-lethal dose of sodium thiopental, more commonly known as sodium pentothal, a barbiturate frequently used as an anesthetic for surgery. Sodium pentothal is supposed to induce a deep sleep and loss of consciousness in 20 seconds.

The second drug is pancuronium bromide, a muscle relaxant.

The third is potassium chloride, which physicians most frequently use during heart bypass surgery. It stops the heart.

A review of court cases shows litigation can arise when chemicals are inadvertently administered out of sequence, causing severe pain.

Defense attorneys have filed court challenges after executioners had trouble finding suitable veins. But so far, all the challenges have failed because courts have found that lethal injection meets evolving standards of decency.

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