Death row inmate Christa Pike wakes after botched execution

Death row inmate Christa Pike has woken up and is speaking almost a week after a botched execution attempt at a Tennessee prison.

“Against all odds, Christa Pike is conscious, speaking and continues to receive critical medical care," her attorney said.

"Despite the severe damage she endured to her arms, she is still handcuffed and shackled to the bed. Her recovery is medically unprecedented."

Pike, 50, was rushed to hospital following two doses of the lethal injection drug pentobarbital, inside the death chamber at Nashville's Riverbend Maximum Security Institution.

She was sentenced to death in 1996 for the killing of classmate Colleen Slemmer, 19, when Pike was 18 years old.