I agree that clinicians should use lidocaine or digoxin over potassium chloride (KCL) for the reason you gave.
I wrote that the injection is “often of potassium chloride”, not always.
Given that the fetus is receiving a lethal dose of potassium chloride, I don’t think adults tolerating a much smaller medicinal dose should tell us much about how painful a lethal dose would be?
I agree that the fetus isn’t being given potassium chloride intravenously, although I didn’t know that when I wrote the post (another commenter pointed it out). I’ll add a line in the post disclaiming that comparison.
It is common ground in the lethal-injection context that the administered fatal dose of KCl would be excruciatingly painful without proper anesthesia (although that is in an IV context). I don’t know what dose is being used in abortions, but the lethal-injection dose is 100 to 240 mEq at once. I was given 15 mEq per hour in the hospital last month, although it can be done somewhat more quickly if there is an acute need. So I agree that adult toleration of a very gradual dose isn’t helpful evidence here.
I agree that clinicians should use lidocaine or digoxin over potassium chloride (KCL) for the reason you gave.
I wrote that the injection is “often of potassium chloride”, not always.
Given that the fetus is receiving a lethal dose of potassium chloride, I don’t think adults tolerating a much smaller medicinal dose should tell us much about how painful a lethal dose would be?
I agree that the fetus isn’t being given potassium chloride intravenously, although I didn’t know that when I wrote the post (another commenter pointed it out). I’ll add a line in the post disclaiming that comparison.
It is common ground in the lethal-injection context that the administered fatal dose of KCl would be excruciatingly painful without proper anesthesia (although that is in an IV context). I don’t know what dose is being used in abortions, but the lethal-injection dose is 100 to 240 mEq at once. I was given 15 mEq per hour in the hospital last month, although it can be done somewhat more quickly if there is an acute need. So I agree that adult toleration of a very gradual dose isn’t helpful evidence here.