Killing Your Characters Correctly

Killing Your

Characters Correctly

nailing the medical details in your fiction

Kim Foster, MD

CPR & Defibrillation

CPR is not magic don’t give up so soon!

it’s not pretty (rib cracking)

do NOT defibrillate a flatline!

Comas

Getting your character into a coma

• a severe head injury • seizure• infection involving the brain• brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen

for too long (eg. cardiac arrest)• an overdose of medicine or other drugs.• a stroke• chemical imbalances (in the body from

other illnesses eg. low blood sugar, organ failure)

Getting your character out of a coma

Much trickier!(especially if you want him/her unscathed)

Keep in mind these factors:• the cause (drug overdose vs. hypoxia or

stroke)• the “depth” (give a few signs of being

higher on the Glasgow coma scale)• the duration (the longer he remains in

coma, the worse his chances)

Knife Wounds

The most lethal wounds that can be made with a knife?

• between the cervical vertebrae (sever spinal cord)

• across the neck—slice through the carotid arteries and the trachea

• into the heart• lungs/chest—maybe • abdomen—maybe

Knife Wounds

Knife injuries that look bad but may be survivable?

• limbs• shoulder• chest• abdomen—if you miss the aorta• or almost anywhere—anything is possible!

Bullet Wounds

Issues:

• Do you have to get the bullet out?• Fatal shots• Survivable

shots

Poison

• Cyanide• Strychnine• Arsenic• Ricin• Warfarin & Heparin• Morphine & Opiates• Potassium Chloride• Botulinum Toxin

Heart Attacks & Heart DiseaseSymptoms of a heart attack:• chest pressure/heaviness/pain• pain that radiates to left arm or

jaw• shortness of breath• lightheadedness• nausea• diaphoresis (sweaty)• palpitations

Risk factors:• high blood

pressure• high cholesterol• smoking• diabetes• family history• obesity• sedentary

Deadly InfectionsInfection Fatality rate

(if untreated)Treatment available?

Rabies 100% yes (post-exposure vaccination)

Ebola 83-90% no

Smallpox 95% no

Anthrax 93% yes (antibiotics)

Bubonic Plague 60% yes (antibiotics)

Yellow Fever 20-50% no

Anaphylaxis & Allergies

What kinds of things tend to cause fatal allergic reactions?-foods (nuts, shellfish, eggs)-iodine-insect stings (yellow jacket wasps, honeybees)-antibiotics-local anaesthetic

What does an allergic reaction look like?-rash/hives-difficulty breathing, swallowing, speaking-tongue, lip, eye swelling-lightheadedness-passing out

Childbirth Issues

Common errors & annoyances:• the panic that ensues

when a woman’s water breaks

• speed labor (especially for first labor)

• clean & pretty labor• amazing recovery

after

Opportunities:• delivery in inconvenient

places: elevators, cars, the sidewalk outside the hospital, etc.

• bleeding, infection• home births, water

births • breech• twins• almost any disaster you

can think of

Hospital Scenes Who’s there, and what are they doing?

Where to get more help?

Online resources (see handout)LibraryTalk to an expert• physician• other health care professional• university prof• science writer/copyeditor/fact

checker• me: Kim Foster

email: [email protected]: www.kimfoster.com

Questions?