Killing of a sacred deer? Calling Miss Marple...

I never watch any movie which has medicine as a plot, since I tend to throw shoes and shout at the TV when they make major mistakes.

But my stepson was here and we watched the film "Killing of a Sacred Deer", which is a lose remake of Iphingenia in Aulis...

in this, supposedly the surgeon was drunk and caused the death of a patient, so the victim's son put a curse on the family that the surgeon's children and wife would all die if the surgeon didn't kill one of his children.

Lots of dumb dialogue and he ends up killing one of his kids to save the others.... hmm... no, his wife doesn't stop him: unlike Clymenestra she let him do it... so presumably the next film in the series won't include his wife killing him in the bathtub in revenge.

so should you watch it? Well, it's a dumb movie, but like most "horror" films it's okay if you are dumb enough to believe the plot.

but from a medical standpoint?

Fake plot.

First it shows what is presumably the death of a patient during heart surgery. The heart is white for some reason, and it is beating. (usually the heart is stopped for open heart surgery and the patient is put on a heart/lung bypass machine, but never mind.)

But my main problem is that the onset of paralysis that is supposed to kill the surgeon's family resembles polio or acute transverse myelitis or Guillian Barre syndrome, or maybe a peripheral neuropathy from toxins such as heavy metals or chemicals.

And when both of his two children develop identical symptoms, no one wonders why: the first thing an epidemiologist would think is: Check the home for poisons/toxins.

And if you know a patient's family is threatening the doctor, you call the cops to check out if he has access to heavy metals or other toxins that cause similar symptoms.

the paralysis and lack of appetite is supposed to continue until they bleed from the eyes and die.

Again, suggesting anorexia from a toxin...and by the way: The bleeding from the eyes could be a sign of thrombocytopenia or even from decreased clotting proteins from hepatic failure.

I kept yelling at the screen: Check them for thallium poisoning. as wikipedia notes:

Because of its use for murder, thallium has gained the nicknames "The Poisoner's Poison" and "Inheritance Powder" (alongside arsenic).

But if it was thallium, their hair should be falling out. But thallium and other heavy metals can cause these type symptoms, but not show on MRI etc...

Actually arsenic might be a better bet: hidden in the lemonade that the threatening kid keeps giving the family. LINK

Neuropathy symptoms from arsenic begin 2-3 weeks after the first exposure. Pain starts in the lower extremities that later change to numbness and weakness. Eventually the symptoms progress to the upper extremities.

more about arsenic here.

Clinical diagnosis of arsenic intoxication is often difficult because both acute and chronic poisoning present a wide spectrum of signs and symptoms, which are largely dependent upon route of exposure, chemical form, dose, and time elapsed since exposure. In many cases, the patient or person providing the history may suppress information, or the source of exposure may not be apparent. By integrating laboratory results with history and clinical findings, it is often possible to confirm a diagnosis.

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physicians rarely run into deliberate poisoning cases, so might not consider it as part of the diagnostic possibilities, but ironically, Miss Marple would recognize the problem.

Agatha Christie is famous for her knowledge of poisons including arsenic, which was a favorite method of killing people in the past because it was hard to detect.

and her novel The Pale Horse, uses Thallium poisoning as one method of murder.

Bur Agatha Christie doesn't only use drugs and heavy metal murders in her books: this lovely lecture notes Aunt Agatha's knowledge of plant poisons: