Five days after Tennessee's failed execution of Christa Pike, attorneys say she remains unconscious and on a ventilator but alive. What comes next for Pike largely depends on the condition of her brain, according to medical experts.
Dr. Mark Courtney, an emergency medicine physician not involved in the case, says there are three possible outcomes:
- Regain consciousness
- Be declared brain dead
- Remain in a persistent vegetative state
Courtney believes problems with Pike's IV may have prevented the state's execution protocol from working as intended.
While some of the pentobarbital likely affected her brain, he suspects much of the drug entered the muscle and tissue in her arms rather than her bloodstream.
"The key question is whether she is brain dead," Courtney said, noting that doctors can determine that through tests that measure brain wave and brain stem activity.
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The latest update from Pike's attorneys says she remains unconscious and dependent on a ventilator.
Courtney believes enough time has passed that the drug could be out of her system, allowing doctors to conduct more definitive neurological testing.
If she regains consciousness, legal experts say she could challenge the state under the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. If she does not recover, questions could arise over who has the authority to make decisions about life support.
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Pike has designated someone to serve as her medical power of attorney, and that person has, so far, kept details about her condition private.
This story was originally published by Nick Beres with the Scripps News Group in Nashville.
