# Is the entire plot of 'Flatliners' hinged on a popular misconception about medical equipment? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 7, 2011, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-plot-of-flatliners-hinged-on-a-popular-misconception-about-medical-equipment/573736 "2011-03-07T02:51:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Pandoranoid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce73a5/32.png) [@Pandoranoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pandoranoid)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-plot-of-flatliners-hinged-on-a-popular-misconception-about-medical-equipment/573736/41 "2011-03-09T22:37:15Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > In the name of all that is sensible, why? This is a film about ghosts coming back from the dead. You have no problem with that, but are upset over the medical accuracy? If you grant the ghosts, then your claim to wanting accuracy goes right out the window. I guess I was exaggerating my dismay to make fun of myself, and goshdarnit if it just didn’t work. My sincerest apologies. So what is this whooshing noise all about?🙂 ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-plot-of-flatliners-hinged-on-a-popular-misconception-about-medical-equipment/573736/42 "2011-03-09T22:41:19Z")
In case you want to re-experience the movie in all its greatness, the Lifetime channel will be showing it later this week. I can’t remember the day. I just happened to see it listed in the upcoming movies. Check your listings. ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-plot-of-flatliners-hinged-on-a-popular-misconception-about-medical-equipment/573736/43 "2011-03-10T06:18:20Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > (and really, who other than EMT’s carries around a dental dam or CPR mask?) We don’t carry them, either. [We have BVMs](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://manchesteregg2010.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/ambu_bag_valve_mask1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://manchesteregg2010.wordpress.com/&usg=__kbB7qFMnSgYZxra_oJwkkaJcub4=&h=1095&w=1500&sz=233&hl=en&start=0&sig2=qDG7t_LVA-nz8ygzrH5-0A&zoom=1&tbnid=5rV5HHEw5nQJ7M:&tbnh=128&tbnw=176&ei=9Gx4Tc_JM4jjqgG_hOmaCQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dambu%2Bbag%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1279%26bih%3D593%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=731&oei=9Gx4Tc_JM4jjqgG_hOmaCQ&page=1&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=80&ty=44) St. Urho Paramedic ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-plot-of-flatliners-hinged-on-a-popular-misconception-about-medical-equipment/573736/44 "2011-03-10T23:12:34Z")
So in the Mythbusters tradition of “replicate the circumstances, then duplicate the results” (at least thought-experiment form). If you were to have a desire to stop and then resuscitate your heart a-la Flatliners (maybe as a result of ill-considered bet 🙂 ) what would be the safest way to do that ? And what would be the chances of you living to claim your winnings ? Based on **Chief Pedant** ’s reply above it seems chilling and then warming it ? ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-plot-of-flatliners-hinged-on-a-popular-misconception-about-medical-equipment/573736/45 "2011-03-11T02:20:06Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Right. Defibrillators de-fibrillate the heart when the ventricles are fibrillating (quivering with very uncoordinated contractions which are too small to actually get blood pumping through the heart.) They don’t work, contrary to the movie’s title, on someone who has “flatlined”, or has no cardiac activity left. > > But y’know, they had Jami Gertz’ naked boobies right, so there’s that going for them. Actually, Julia Roberts’s boobies. But interestingly coincidental, both ladies were born on October 28th, 2 years apart, and 1 and 3 years after my 10/28 birthday. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DHMO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@DHMO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DHMO)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-plot-of-flatliners-hinged-on-a-popular-misconception-about-medical-equipment/573736/46 "2011-03-11T08:30:42Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Movies are about story telling, not accuracy. > > It doesn’t matter if the movie has medical stuff, computer stuff, police stuff, military stuff, car stuff, or just plain old boys-&-girls stuff. They’ll screw up the details completely in the interest of making a story. Or because the writers are clueless & lazy. > > So best to just check your expertise at the door. > > Surely you’ve been to enough movies by now to understand this. This brings to mind the movie, _“Fantastic Voyage.”_ There were _so many_ scenes where the science was all wrong. Isaac Asimov was asked to write a novelization of the movie, and got permission to “fix” some of the many plot holes in his book. Since he worked quickly, and there were many delays in the filming, his book came out before the movie was released. Many of his fans were dismayed at how the producers “ruined” his story. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-plot-of-flatliners-hinged-on-a-popular-misconception-about-medical-equipment/573736/47 "2011-03-11T21:14:08Z")
> [@DHMO](#): > > This brings to mind the movie, _“Fantastic Voyage.”_ There were _so many_ scenes where the science was all wrong. Isaac Asimov was asked to write a novelization of the movie, and got permission to “fix” some of the many plot holes in his book. Since he worked quickly, and there were many delays in the filming, his book came out before the movie was released. Many of his fans were dismayed at how the producers “ruined” his story. Heh. Count me as an Asimov fan who always thought the movie was based on his book :smack: (FWIW, I’ve never seen the movie.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-plot-of-flatliners-hinged-on-a-popular-misconception-about-medical-equipment/573736.md?page=2)