Re: [at-l] My Saturday Adventure

["W F Thorneloe, MD" <thornel@ibm.net>]

At 11:15 AM 6/28/1999 -0700, Delisle, Denise wrote:
>I was in the hospital Saturday night and most of the day on Sunday.  It
>seems that I didn't get a very big dose of venom possibly because the snake
>got distracted by my Leki pole.  I've been stuck at home all last week
>resting.


Great story. It is probable that you stepped on the poor snake since you 
found it curled on your boot, and since it struck at your shin. Rattlers do 
grow new fangs. Your probably lost an older fang by striking your shin, and 
didn't have much time or room to inject much toxin.

Rattle snake venom is a hemolytic toxin, hence getting excited and taking 
an Epi shot probably was not the best of ideas. It only would help to 
circulate the toxin that much quicker. The partial tourniquet was probably 
a good idea. Cutting the bite site and allowing blood to spill our of the 
wound (taking toxin along with it) would have been better. Getting the heck 
out of there and getting help was the absolutely smartest idea.

Although this story has a cell phone in it, the important technology was 
the whistle! It carries so much better, and did a great job getting 
attention to you! Well done!


OrangeBug
Atlanta, GA
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