Method - Arterial Air Embolism? - A Little Life

[ripxxxxcxxx]

I've never been able to get this method out of my head after reading A Little Life. the mc Jude ends up taking his life by injecting 'an artery with air, giving himself a stroke'. the book mentioned that the death would've been agonizing ('sticking himself at least twice, with a needle whose gauge was as thick as a hummingbird's beak'), but its written and mentioned in media for a reason right?

i just wonder how viable this is as a method. looking into the literature ive seen mentions of a rig involving a bicycle pump to inject the air. seems complicated tho

has anyone looked into this?

 

[MissAbyss]

Yes, I have researched this method months ago. Small volumes (as little as 0.5–2 mL) air, injected in some arteries can be dangerous or lethal. If air travels to the brain via the carotid or vertebral arteries, it can block cerebral blood flow, causing: Ischemic stroke, brain damage, seizures, loss of consciousness or death.

The problem with this method is that it is uncertain where the embolism will manifest. The idea is to inject the nearest artery to the heart to induce cardiac arrest. If it leads to the wrong (ischemia-) organs for example the brain, it can cause a stroke, which doesn't have to be fatal per se. If it leads to the limbs, kidneys, lungs or gut, depending on where the embolism forms, it can cause sudden pain, dizziness or syncope, shortness of breath, confusion, cold or discolored extremities. The pain will probably be excruciating and again not immediately fatal at first.

Overall, this method is not for the average layperson who doesn't know how to find the exact locations of the arteries whereas to inject the air etc. Even then it's still no certainty of fatality with major consequences.