Shot to the Heart: Difference between revisions

We've all seen it before. The patient is going into shock, he's losing consciousness! His heart's stopped, and the [[Magical Defibrillator|paddles]] aren't working. He's not going to make it! Only one thing left to do. Shot to the heart, stat! His heart's beating; he's stabilizing. Crisis averted!

'''Shot to the Heart''' is when an injection of adrenaline is administered directly into a patient's heart, usually by a forceful stab. This can be done for a number of reasons, usually to restart a stopped heart or to restore or maintain consciousness. If the injured person is particularly [[Badass]] or [[Determinator|determined]], he may even do it to himself so he can stay conscious long enough to save the day.

The trope was made popular by 1994's ''[[Pulp Fiction]],'' when hitman Vincent Vega does it to save the life of Mia Wallace, who has OD'd on heroin and also happens to be his boss's wife. Today it's right up there with a [[Instant Drama, Just Add Tracheotomy|tracheotomy]] when you need some [[Rule of Drama|drama]], but in reality, this is a '''''very bad idea''''' and a good way to kill your patient. While epinephrine (adrenaline) is used to treat several ailments from anaphylactic shock to cardiac arrest, no doctor since about 1990 would ''ever'' treat a patient by stabbing them in the heart with a giant needle. In the past, an intra-cardiac injection ''was'' used very sparingly, but only by trained medical personnel, only if the heart was ''completely'' stopped and only if every other option was exhausted. In a modern hospital, if you need a drug to get to the heart quickly, it goes into a vein, with chest compressions used to move the blood in the event of cardiac arrest.

In spite of this, it remains a popular trope, especially in medical dramas and [[Sliding Scale of Shiny Versus Gritty|grittier]] action films, though [[Subverted Trope|subversions]] and [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshade hangings]] are starting to show up in comedic works.

A subtrope of [[Artistic License Medicine]]. See also [[Instant Drama, Just Add Tracheotomy]] and [[Magical Defibrillator]] for similar use of emergency medical procedures for drama.

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* Done twice in the ''[[Firefly (TV series)|Firefly]]'' episode, "Out Of Gas." Simon administers one to Zoe after she's injured in an explosion, and later Mal does it to himself to stay conscious after he is gut-shot.

* Clark does this to Lana in one episode of ''[[Smallville]].''

* On ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'', Sheldon tries to prank Howard with an [[Electric Joy Buzzer]], but Howard appears to collapse from a heart attack and is instructed to stab a syringe of adrenaline straight through his heart. Of course, it all turns out to be a counter-prank.

* In the first season finale of ''[[Nikita (TV series)|Nikita]],'' {{spoiler|Amanda does this to revive Alex after killing her with the Kill Chip.}} It was the only way to set her free...

* Doc Robbins does this in one ''[[CSI]]'' episode, where a guy revives on his table.

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