Actually the defibrillator wouldn't start up Peeta's heart if it stopped either. Since he's not hooked up to a machine or anything, it's possible that he's just arrhythmic/has a weak heartbeat, but even in that case they should give him atropine (ironically you can get it from nightshade) and adrenaline + chest compressions to restart his heart.
Defibrillators are only for ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation (kinds of rapid arrhythmia), and they actually stop the heart. You're supposed to keep doing CPR while this is going on to keep the person alive in hopes of their heart restarting itself with a regular rhythm. Trident Bishie actually had the right sort of idea. If Katniss couldn't feel his heartbeat at all when she checked, it's unlikely he has VT or VF and throwing him in the fence would just make things worse. Or it would have cooked dinner! Waste not want not!
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Date: 2011-05-21 06:57 am (UTC)Actually the defibrillator wouldn't start up Peeta's heart if it stopped either. Since he's not hooked up to a machine or anything, it's possible that he's just arrhythmic/has a weak heartbeat, but even in that case they should give him atropine (ironically you can get it from nightshade) and adrenaline + chest compressions to restart his heart.
Defibrillators are only for ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation (kinds of rapid arrhythmia), and they actually stop the heart. You're supposed to keep doing CPR while this is going on to keep the person alive in hopes of their heart restarting itself with a regular rhythm. Trident Bishie actually had the right sort of idea. If Katniss couldn't feel his heartbeat at all when she checked, it's unlikely he has VT or VF and throwing him in the fence would just make things worse. Or it would have cooked dinner! Waste not want not!
:D