Eastern brown full envenomation bite

[Just_Plain_Nuts]

Hope your husband makes a full recovery soon

 

[redbellybite]

Matts first aid treatment by the ambo's and one of the doctors was terrible ,I dont wanna knock them ,cause in the end he survived ,but when an ambo crew FAILS to use compression bandages on a OBVIOUS snake bite victim and then a doctor accidently in a mad rush to the head,punctures Matts femoral artery,whilst he has NO and I stress NO clotting ability at all .Matt started to bleed badly and the swelling and bruising from this action was an eye opener ,try n get that pic up later ...So my point is when the professionals make MAJOR mistakes I believe EVERY AUSTRALIAN SHOULD BE PROGRAMED HOW TO APPLY SNAKE BITE FIRST AID CORRECTLY ...it should be taught from an early age and basically be in grained into our heads ...anyway its obvious Matts time wasnt then ,and as his wife am forever grateful
ok here is the picture showing some slight bruising and swelling

 

[Kristy_07]

RBB - are u looking into any kind of civil action against, at least, the ambos? I agree, docs in ED make mistakes and then have to fix them all the time (not that I work in med myself, just heard from my partner his doc friends from RBH), but for the ambos not to apply a compression bandage, which lead to unnecessary trauma to his heart, brain, systems etc., I would consider to be a kind of negligence... Have u considered looking any further into this?

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Thanks for sharing your story RBB. Many people don't realise that even though few people die from snalebite in Australia, lots are severely incapacitated for long periods, even for life in some cases. This is why free-handling is such a worry...

J.

 

[Snake_Whisperer]

That is more of Matt than I needed to see...
Glad to hear he is doing better! Yeh, since getting into reptiles, in my initial searches for info on snakebite first aid, I was surprised at how well hidden it is! I would have thought, in a country like this where some of the most dangerous snakes on earth live in suburbia, there would have been some sort of "Slip, slop,slap" type adverts to show ordinary folks what to do in the event of snakebite. Sounds like a good project for some up and coming young herper with A/V skills!

 

[waruikazi]

Here's another example of what can heppen. Didn't die but i'm betting he wished he did.

 

[Waterrat]

I just started reading this thread, what can I say ..... thanks for sharing RBB and I wish your hubby fast and complete recovery.

cheers
M

 

[Kristy_07]

Here's another example of what can heppen. Didn't die but i'm betting he wished he did.

:shock:

 

[shellfisch]

Here's another example of what can heppen. Didn't die but i'm betting he wished he did.

Sorry, I know it is far from funny, but - 'my mate was trying to keep me awake by whacking me in the head and pouring beer on me' :lol:

That could only happen in Australia :lol:

 

[waruikazi]

He was found by a local rag ten years later and he claimed he was trying to kill himself. Befor ei knew this i found the original story so ridiculous that is was funny.

 

[shellfisch]

Thanks for sharing your story RBB. Many people don't realise that even though few people die from snalebite in Australia, lots are severely incapacitated for long periods, even for life in some cases. This is why free-handling is such a worry... J.

I have to agree.
I truly did not appreciate just how sick a person could get :shock:
In my ignorance, I thought - go to the hospital, get an injection, all's good.
And I think a better knowledge of snake bite first aid can only be a good thing.

 

[slim6y]

I know this is a long shot... But my daughter is friends with a girl whose mother is currently at JCU working on a PhD to invent a pressure bandage that is 'perfect' for all Australian elapid bites.

It's very interesting research and I am quite impressed with the research gone into it... However, I've never had enough time to talk to her and really get to know the outcomes of the research - I will try to get the paper from her when she's finished... Hopefully my daughter stays friends with her daughter

RBB - thanks for sharing the story - to most of us (if not all) we find that intriguing, interesting, amazing etc etc - it's a shame that your husband has been so affected by a creature defending itself.

I notice a lot of people talking of mountain biking - I've mentioned in other threads that I was biking in the cane paddocks when a taipan reared its head to 'get away' from us and the bikes - lucky - because I would never had seen it unless it had actually reared up... No bandages... no first aid... nothing... several hundred metres from a house... and... no phones... doubt that if any of us had been hit - we'd probably not be here....

 

[Karly]

My heart goes out to you both RBB.
Is it OK if I put a link to this thread on my facebook page? I know its a long shot trying to educate the general population about all the things we have living in our backyards that could potentially kill us... but if I can get at least one of my friends to read this, they might tell someone and so on...

 

[dossy]

this may be a stupid question but i have hear that once you have been biten and venom has gotten into you you actuly never get back to normal due to residue and you get head aches and other things like that is this true??

ontopic i hope your huby gets better and back to work and im glad to see that even after dying 3 times (assuming each heart attack he died) and filled with all sort of nasties that he can give you a smile....(he was probly hallucinating and thought you were his yr 6 teacher ) good luck rbb

 

[voodoo]

Wow...amazing story Nat, Glad everything worked out.

 

[Firepac]

...So my point is when the professionals make MAJOR mistakes I believe EVERY AUSTRALIAN SHOULD BE PROGRAMED HOW TO APPLY SNAKE BITE FIRST AID CORRECTLY ...i

I totally agree and also believe that every snake catcher should also carry a laminated card which has the correct treatment, in medical terms, for snake bite envenomation, which is given to the staff at the hospital. This will help ensure that mistakes are not made by the medical profession especially in more rural/remote areas.

I keep mine in the same container as i keep my compression bandages so it is always on hand when needed.

 

[spiderdan]

Far out what a stoy RBB hope your hubby is feeling better.
I'm a snake catcher at Yulara (Ayers Rock Resort) and this story makes me think what if someone is bit out at Uluru? No phone reception and I wonder how many of the coach drivers/tour guides know snake bite first aid.
I think I will be having some talks with some tour groups here to make shore they all know.

 

[Gusbus]

thanks for the info, hope he gets better, very interesting thread

 

[fauce]

Hope he makes a full recovery! Wow scary stuff. It would be interesting to know how much difference it would have made if he had stayed still and got a bandage on straight away.

When i get to a rescue and it is a deadly snake i always tell the homeowner what species it is and the basic first aid for if i get bitten during the rescue, show them i have a compression bandage and tell them not to let the ambos take it off if i was to get bitten and pass out before the ambulance got there. I have heard so many storys of them either taking the bandage off or not putting one on in the first place.

Good luck to him for his recovery.

 

[Elite_Reptiles]

Thanks for sharing redbellybite, great reading and good advice.

Also the best to Matt and hoping he makes a full recovery.

I know with EB's they are No.2 in the world and normally you would have at least 15 to 30 mins before feeling the effects of a bite, but Matt only having a few minutes before he collapsed has me thinking it was a direct hit to a main artery? I know he paniked and all, but still you should have a lot longer than a few minutes. Be very interested to here back from you if this was the case, as this would throw all my knowledge out the door!