Re: snake bite
Posted: Wed 20 Jan, 2016 10:44 am
One from Tasmania
From the Mercury
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasma ... d154010f6f
AN animal lover bitten by a snake she was trying to remove from a road thought she was going to die after a five-hour wait for anti-venom at the weekend.
Emma Lewis, of Glenorchy, spent her 21st birthday in intensive care at the Launceston General Hospital after first seeking treatment at St Helens.
The veterinary nursing student said she could not understand why the hospital could not administer the anti-venom she needed.
“We were driving up to Tomahawk and were about half an hour out of St Helens when we saw a [copperhead] snake on the road,” Ms Lewis said.
“I thought I would get it off, because so many people just run them over which is sad. I grabbed its tail and neck and thought ‘This one’s pretty chilled’ when it turned around and bit me on the finger.
“Initially I didn’t feel a thing, but 20 seconds later I was in excruciating pain, started overheating and felt really nauseous. I thought I was going to die.”
Ms Lewis and her fiance dashed to the St Helens District Hospital for help.
But there were no stocks of anti-venom and air transport options to the LGH were tied up with existing jobs.
After a painful three-hour wait during which her hand swelled and her vision began to blur, an ambulance finally became available and she was administered the required medicine at the LGH five hours after being bitten.
Tasmanian Health Service clinical director Peter Renshaw said there were major risks providing snake bite anti-venom without proper support, including pathology monitoring and intensive care, to reverse any resulting serious medical complications.
“Therefore anti-venom is given in a controlled specialist medical environment where intervention can occur,” Mr Renshaw said.
“With modern first-aid measures and the closeness of Tasmanian rural locations to a major hospital, clinical advice and evidence confirms this provides the safest outcome for patients.”
A Health Department spokesman said the only locations anti-venom was stocked on mainland Tasmania was the LGH, Royal Hobart Hospital, and the North-West Regional Hospital.
Despite her ordeal, Ms Lewis remains committed to a career working with wildlife.
“I’ve removed copperheads and tiger snakes from the road before,” she said.
“I hate seeing dead snakes on the road and they are so misunderstood. This won’t stop me from picking them up again, but I will take a snake-handling course.”
From the Mercury
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasma ... d154010f6f
AN animal lover bitten by a snake she was trying to remove from a road thought she was going to die after a five-hour wait for anti-venom at the weekend.
Emma Lewis, of Glenorchy, spent her 21st birthday in intensive care at the Launceston General Hospital after first seeking treatment at St Helens.
The veterinary nursing student said she could not understand why the hospital could not administer the anti-venom she needed.
“We were driving up to Tomahawk and were about half an hour out of St Helens when we saw a [copperhead] snake on the road,” Ms Lewis said.
“I thought I would get it off, because so many people just run them over which is sad. I grabbed its tail and neck and thought ‘This one’s pretty chilled’ when it turned around and bit me on the finger.
“Initially I didn’t feel a thing, but 20 seconds later I was in excruciating pain, started overheating and felt really nauseous. I thought I was going to die.”
Ms Lewis and her fiance dashed to the St Helens District Hospital for help.
But there were no stocks of anti-venom and air transport options to the LGH were tied up with existing jobs.
After a painful three-hour wait during which her hand swelled and her vision began to blur, an ambulance finally became available and she was administered the required medicine at the LGH five hours after being bitten.
Tasmanian Health Service clinical director Peter Renshaw said there were major risks providing snake bite anti-venom without proper support, including pathology monitoring and intensive care, to reverse any resulting serious medical complications.
“Therefore anti-venom is given in a controlled specialist medical environment where intervention can occur,” Mr Renshaw said.
“With modern first-aid measures and the closeness of Tasmanian rural locations to a major hospital, clinical advice and evidence confirms this provides the safest outcome for patients.”
A Health Department spokesman said the only locations anti-venom was stocked on mainland Tasmania was the LGH, Royal Hobart Hospital, and the North-West Regional Hospital.
Despite her ordeal, Ms Lewis remains committed to a career working with wildlife.
“I’ve removed copperheads and tiger snakes from the road before,” she said.
“I hate seeing dead snakes on the road and they are so misunderstood. This won’t stop me from picking them up again, but I will take a snake-handling course.”