James Bond: Saved by A Defibrillator

Tonight I learned that my field, cardiac electrophysiology, has finally reached prime time. If you haven’t had the chance, catch Casino Royale, one of the better James Bond flicks to hit the screen. Lots of action, a slightly more believable plot (can that happen?) and plenty of eye candy for all.

But best of all, I got to watch James (Daniel Craig) try to defibrillate himself! It happens after James Bond is poisoned by as tainted martini with “digoxin” at the poker table. He then develops blurred vision and moderate disorientation, and quickly excuses himself from the poker table. He then staggered to grab a shaker of salt and a glass, and proceeded to the bathroom, where he quickly induced vomiting. He then staggered to his Aston Martin Vanquish and opened the glove compartment…. and there it was: an automatic external defibrillator! Yep, smaller and more compact than commercially-available models, but a defibrillator nonetheless.

It turns out that a small chip implanted in James’ arm told his compatriots back at his headquarters that he was also suffering from “ventricular tachycardia.” He was then told to slap the defibrillator pads to his chest. They first elected to give him an antidote for the digoxin, but it was ineffective, so they proceeded to radio James and instructed him to defibrillate himself. James tries on multiple occasions to deliver the shock unsuccessfully, only to discover one of the connection pins to the defibrillator pads had become unplugged. He loses consciousness before he can replace the pin and collapses in the front seat of his car. Fortunately, his new-found love interest, Vesper Lynd (french actress Eva “OMG” Green), found James, plugged in the pin and proceed to cardiovert poor James back to life. As is true with Hollywood, he awakens unscathed and returns to the poker table, only to tell his arch rival Le Chiffre, “That last hand nearly killed me.”

Classic Bond. Great entertainment. Just a bit unreal, but then again, who wants reality when you can have "Bond,…

… James Bond."

-Wes