Dying from stabbing. How quick?

The size of the knife might make a difference, but if it was a bayonet it would pretty much be within a minute, most probably instantaneous.

tallus83 said:

The size of the knife might make a difference, but if it was a bayonet it would pretty much be within a minute, most probably instantaneous.

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I think it would also depend on whether or not the knife was left in. The knife could plug the wound and it could take longer.

If the knife severed the heart in two, I would think it could be almost instantaneous.

Some interesting links:

http://www.youqa.com/general-health-care/2646-youqa.html

http://www.doctorniruprasad.com/Clinical.html

http://www.jtrauma.com/pt/re/jtrauma/abstract.00005373-199808000-00028.htm;jsessionid=HGqQFn2XvXplZw1yNT67fWJbDKhxWm3HKybx8CTyQhqpCNy1xPcY!-1829525682!181195628!8091!-1

Loss of consciousness is the first sign

With blood loss, first you become unconscious due to the brain becoming starved of oxygen, then death follows as the brain cells fail. Think of cases where people fall thru the ice. Because of the cold, deterioration of the brain takes longer, so often those who've been "drowned" for minutes are capable of being revived, altho sometimes with brain damage.

The heart is a small target, but a large cut would work rapidly. Major arteries or the lungs take a little longer. My son bowshot a deer but missed the heart, shearing two ribs and severely piercing the lungs. The deer made about three hundred yards before collapsing, and who knows how much longer to die. As blood pressure drops the rate of flow slows.

Additionally, posture might be important, as someone lying down with legs elevated would be expected to retain conciousness slightly longer.

It would depend very much on the size of the knife and if it was pulled out or not. As mentioned, the knife can act as a plug of sorts- think of Steve Irwin- if he had not pulled the Ray's tail out, he might have lived long enough to make it to surgery- who knows?

But if the knife is pulled out rapid blood loss in the heart itself will occur and death will be mere moments as the heart will go into a lethal arythmia and anoxia will occur as blood is no longer be supplied to the brain. hope that helps.

Willowmound said:

You get stabbed in the heart. How quickly do you die?

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It depends ... if you don't pull the knife out, you might survive. The blade acts like a plug until you can get tosurgery

I've seen xrays of impaled hearts, and talked to one of the victims after the surgery.

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Average carving knife, straight in and straight out, it depends on what it hits. Nick one of the main arteries and its a fewminutes. Just hit the muscle and it will be slower, up to an hour or maybe more.

How fast does the character have to croak?

Willowmound said:

Fast.

See post above yours.

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Your scenario would work.

If the character gets an autopsy, mumble something about an artery being severed to keep the picky readers happy.

if you don't specify in detail how deeply the heart was penetrated through which chambers and whether it disrupted parts of the electrical (neural) system with what exact knife it could be anything from nearly instant to survivable.

then have them use a combat knife or a chef's knife (butcher knife) and have the victim gurgle a little before collapsing to the floor gasping. The attacker also should have to work a little to pull the knife out on at least one of the stabs. Likely a lot of the bleeding would be internal into the thoracic cavity

If you want a lot of spurting blood and it take a minute or two to bleed out even though they'd likely collapse quickly then an overhand stab just above the stenum in a stab, twist, pull. That's how to stick pigs and their chest anatomy is pretty much the same except that people stand on 2 legs so everything would be rotated 90 degrees.

Also large knives could get caught in the ribs so the attacker would either have to work to get the blade out at the end or leave it there after the 3rd stab.