Is it true that the Lethal Injection is made up of three components?

Juggernaut314

Yes it is, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethal_injection: "he intravenous injection is usually a sequence of drugs given in a set sequence, designed to first induce unconsciousness followed by death through paralysis of respiratory muscles and/or by cardiac arrest through depolarization of cardiac muscle cells. The execution of the condemned in most states involves three separate injections (in sequential order): 1. Sodium thiopental: ultra-short action barbiturate, an anaesthetic agent capable of rendering the prisoner unconscious in a few seconds. 2. Pancuronium: non-depolarizing muscle relaxant, causes complete, fast and sustained paralysis of the skeletal striated muscles, including the diaphragm and the rest of the respiratory muscles; this would eventually cause death by asphyxiation. 3. Potassium chloride: stops the heart, and thus causes death by cardiac arrest." Jan 07 10, 11:35 AM

clarod

Thank You. Jan 07 10, 12:02 PM

akg1486

Prior to 8 December 2009, this was true. On that date, Kenneth Biros was executed with a new protocol that uses sodium thiopental only. For reference, read further down on the link provided by Juggernaut314 above, or this article from The Times: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6949193.ece Jan 07 10, 1:38 PM