Colorado Hiker Dies from Snakebite

[Mick]

I just came across this story from last week. Incident happened in Golden, Co. -Very tragic and unnerving


http://www.newser.com/story/249795/endu ... iking.html

[chumley]

I read about this last week. I've yet to see a report that includes the result of the autopsy.

It is exceedingly rare for a rattlesnake bite to cause death in a healthy adult, especially when medical care is received in as timely a manner as it was in this case.

Dan's exact cause of death won't be determined for a few weeks, said Dan Pruett, chief deputy coroner in Jefferson County, Colorado. They're doing tests to see if the snake's venom went directly into his artery or if he had some type of allergic or cardiac reaction.

"It's very unusual, and scary," Pruett said, adding that in nearly 30 years as a coroner, he's never seen a snakebite death.

http://www.dailyherald.com/news/2017101 ... y-mom-says

[Sredfield]

There was a snake bite fatality in WY when I lived there years ago. As I recall the press said it was more from an allergic reaction than the effects of the venom itself.

[SuperstitionGuy]

Has the medical community researched to see if some folks are allergic to the anti-venom itself?
If so is there a simple test to determine if one should not receive the anti-venom?

[BrettVet]

I was bitten by a rattlesnake in the ankle while using a chainsaw on ranch. Couldn’t hear it and stepped backward into a bush. What saved me was that I was in the ER in less than 10 minutes. I drove very fast. I quit counting antivenin vials at 20 because I was in a morphine fog. Very painful. They thought I was having a seizure, but is was shooting pain. Felt like someone was stabbing my bone with an ice-pick. Spent 3 days in the ICU. The thing that did the most to save me was my car keys and getting the antivenin started right away.

[outdoor_lover]

I too, find this Highly Suspect. If there wasn't some Underlying Cause, then the Timeline or the Facts of this Story might be wrong. I'm surprised that he just didn't Hike back to the TH, he could have cut the ER Response Time in at least Half. But it will be interesting to see what the Final Report is....

[big_load]

If there wasn't some Underlying Cause, then the Timeline or the Facts of this Story might be wrong.

I've been following this since the day it happened, but haven't yet seen enough details to make any sense of it. It could just be those reporting failing to recognize that the outcome was out of the ordinary and thus failing to address why that might be. There could also be something the family doesn't want to make public. Whatever the reason, I always like to know as many of the facts as possible so that I can adjust my understanding of the risks. I gave up on that as pertains to this incident.