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VA-Man says he’s lucky to be alive after rattlesna
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by tigers9 on May 28, 2008
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http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/local/southside/article/local_man_says_hes_lucky_to_be_alive_after_bitten_by_a_rattlesnake/11784/
Man says he’s lucky to be alive after rattlesnake bite
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Ernest Marlowe was bitten on his finger by a rattlesnake, causing the venom to get in his bloodstream. After several doses of anti-venom and treatment at the UVA Medical Center, Marlowe is thankful to be alive.
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By CANDICE NELSON
WSLS10 Reporter
Published: May 28, 2008
Ernest and Peggy Marlowe sit on their front porch looking at Peggy’s flower garden. It’s an everyday enjoyment that was threatened early in May. Ernest walked through his farm near their home in Henry County. He said he was looking for mountain laurel for Peggy’s flower bed, but Ernest didn’t know a timber rattlesnake was in the woods where he was walking.
As he bent down to pick up a piece, he noticed something moving, then realized he had a bite on his left index finger.
He told his wife, “A rattlesnake bit me. Reckon we ought to go to the doctor?”
Ernest was quick to suck out the poison, a move doctor’s don’t recommend.
“My tongue started swelling real bad. And I told her, I can’t hardly swallow,” he said.
The venom in his finger also got into his bloodstream. By the time he and Peggy made it to the hospital, he was starting to feel worse.
“I got tingly all over, then I started getting numb,” he said.
After several doses of anti-venom, he was flown to the University of Virginia Medical Center, and Peggy could only pray.
She said, “Lord, don’t take him away, be with him and help him. That’s my soulmate.”
While family prayed, Ernest also had his health to thank after he quit smoking years ago. It was a decision doctors said kept his lungs strong.
Ernest said the doctor told him, “’ We didn’t tell you yesterday but we normally don’t have a survivor that gets hit in the bloodstream.”
Now, he’s back on the farm and watching his step.
“You gotta live, and that ain’t gonna stop me from living,” he said.
Ten On Your Side also talked to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for information about anti-venom. Dr. Karen Kuel says doctors will only use the anti-venom in the most serious cases – those that affect the heart, lungs, cause blood clots, etc.
Dr. Kuel says the patients who would need this will stay at the hospital for at least 24 hours. She said the medicine that is used today doesn’t cause nearly as many side effects as what was used years ago. However, she said today’s anti-venom is very expensive.
Ten On Your Side also talked to doctors at the Memorial Hospital of Martinsville. They say it’s very hard to keep a lot of the medicine on-hand because anti-venom has a short shelf-life.
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RE: VA-Man says he’s lucky to be alive after rattl
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by Voided37 on May 29, 2008
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Fine, simple article stating facts and that's it.
Just what the media is there for. Most so-called 'news' could take a lesson from this article.
Glad it was posted as "just the facts, maam" on snakebites always interests me.
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RE: VA-Man says he’s lucky to be alive after rattl
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by Cro on May 29, 2008
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"Dr. Karen Kuel says doctors will only use the anti-venom in the most serious cases – those that affect the heart, lungs, cause blood clots, etc."
I am seeing this type of response more and more, and the mention of using of Steriods and Antibiotics in the treatment of venomous snake bites, instead of Anti-Venom. Is this some kind of a new trend ? I am also seeing a lot about the high cost of Anti-Venom. Is the cost of Anti-Venom causing doctors to reserve their stores of CroFab for only the most severe bites ?
Just how appropriate is the use of Steriods in the treatment of mild envenomations ?
Would love to hear from some of the Envenomation Specialists here about that treatment verses Anti-Venom. You always hear that "Anti-Venom is the Only proper treatment for a snake bite" so, what is up with the use of Steriods and Antibiotics ???
Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: VA-Man says he’s lucky to be alive after rattl
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by pitbulllady on May 29, 2008
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I'm wondering if human ER docs aren't taking a hint from veterinarians. I've had to deal with many snake-bitten dogs over the years, and I've never had a vet use antivenin on a dog, even though they keep it and some DO use it on dogs. Most will tell you, though, that unless the dog is "crashing", the use of antivenin is too risky, not to mention horribly expensive. My vet normally uses a combo of Dextamethasone, which is a cortosteroid, antibiotics, and Benadryl, in the treatment of snake envenomations in dogs, and pain killers if the dog proves difficult to deal with without them(Catahoula Leopards and Pit Bull Terriers tend to be more stoic). While I know that dogs do have an apparently better tolerance for snake venom than we humans do, that particular course of treatment seems to be very effective, and I've never lost a dog to snake bite, although I've had several bitten, including a four-month-old Catahoula pup that tangled with a really big Canebrake.
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