Man dies from snake bite trying to help neighbour

[Wookie]

Allergic reaction? An anaphylactic reaction is pretty hard to miss from a clinical perspective, especially in an emergency/intensive care situation. A great shame, it seems it may well have been avoided if protocols were followed.

 

[Sunny]

First of all my sympathies to all parties envolved in this tradgic event,
My belief is that prevention is better than cure lets aim to stop envenomations from occuring in the first place (where possible)
through education,i know that not all bites are avoidable.
Also as for first aid i think it should be a mandatory subject in every high school in every state and territory, perhaps this may help save lives that need not be lost for any reason(not just envenomations).

 

[zobo]

snake bite deaths are tragic, but many are avoidable and the lady who died in Warwick recently thought she had been bitten but refused calling ambos and did not bandage it and was walking around, so if correct procedures were followed who knows? mind you she was one of the unfortunate ones who was not catching the snake and was bitten right into bloodstream.

We have red bellies etc all over our place lately and the odd brown but we have a stocked first aid kit and teach our 2 year old to stay away from them and call out to us.

Each time we have seen a snake it has bolted as soon as it saw us, so if left alone chance of bites are low, unless treading on them.

our neighbour likes to kill them (dont get me started) and the fact they still come around (he claims 50+ yr) proves killing does not remove them, so why risk the bite. JUST LET THEM GO.

j

 

[baxtor]

First of all my sympathies to all parties envolved in this tradgic event,
My belief is that prevention is better than cure lets aim to stop envenomations from occuring in the first place (where possible)
through education,i know that not all bites are avoidable.
Also as for first aid i think it should be a mandatory subject in every high school in every state and territory, perhaps this may help save lives that need not be lost for any reason(not just envenomations).

Good idea, however I know of at least one recent envenomation where all the first aid was done and the victim was in the emergency dept. no more than 20 minutes post bite and was then subjected to a total mismanagement of the correct procedures and ended up on life support.
Any education campaign needs to include the health care providors.

 

[Fuscus]

Snake bite is usually well managed as it is protocol driven.

Maybe it is, but I can tell you from personal experience it can be very badly mismanaged to the point of life threatening incompetence.

ANd I can tell you from personal experience that it can be managed in an excellent manner. Personally I have supreme confidence I'll be treated properly if I have to do it again.

 

[mungus]

2 wasted deaths here........

 

[baxtor]

ANd I can tell you from personal experience that it can be managed in an excellent manner. Personally I have supreme confidence I'll be treated properly if I have to do it again.

It should not come down to a lottery in so far as life or death are concerned. A proven protocol should be followed rather than emergency dept. staff learning on the job at the expense of the patient.

 

[Jonno from ERD]

ANd I can tell you from personal experience that it can be managed in an excellent manner. Personally I have supreme confidence I'll be treated properly if I have to do it again.

Hey mate,

I know from personal experience (both myself and friends/colleagues) that your experience is the exception rather than the rule. I've been to hospital twice in the last 10 years for snakebite (my only two bites) and both times they made mistakes that could have been potentially life threatening if I didn't have a sound knowledge of what they should be doing.

 

[Fuscus]

Hey mate,

I know from personal experience (both myself and friends/colleagues) that your experience is the exception rather than the rule. I've been to hospital twice in the last 10 years for snakebite (my only two bites) and both times they made mistakes that could have been potentially life threatening if I didn't have a sound knowledge of what they should be doing.

I have to ask - If the treatment for snake bite is as incompetent as you constantly suggest then why is the mortality from snake bite in Australia so low?

 

[baxtor]

I have to ask - If the treatment for snake bite is as incompetent as you constantly suggest then why is the mortality from snake bite in Australia so low?

Sometimes it's dumb luck and sometimes it is well managed treatment. The treatment should be well managed ALL of the time not just some of the time.