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13 Jun 2008

Life saving treatment for man bitten by death adder snake

Metropolitan Ambulance Service paramedics have treated a man who was bitten by a snake at Burwood East last night.

 

Intensive care paramedics from Box Hill and advance life support paramedics from Mitcham were called to the house just before eight o’clock. The first paramedics arrived within nine minutes.

Intensive care paramedic team manager Glen Bail says they found a 29 year-old man who had been bitten on the hand by a death adder snake.

‘The man is a snake breeder, and had been bitten several times by a small death adder,’ he said.

‘He was having a severe allergic reaction, and was in an altered conscious state, showing life threatening symptoms.

‘We put a drip in his arm and gave him some adrenaline and anti-inflammatory drugs because of the allergic reaction to the venom, and some fluids to stabilise his blood pressure.

‘The man was also partially paralysed, so paramedics used equipment to breath for him.

‘We continued treatment as he was taken to Monash Medical Centre in a critical condition. He is incredibly lucky to have made it to hospital alive,’ Mr Bail said.