Green Mamba bite

This section will help you get first aid treatment protocols incase of an envenomation. This includes indigenous and exotic reptiles. Please do not use this forum for photo sharing, etc.

Green Mamba bite

Postby Loslappie » Thu Nov 24, 2011 9:53 am

Guys please be careful, Im merely posting this as an example of how quick things can go wrong.. Even to those of us that is very strict on handling protocols.

On Saturday afternoon at 15h55 I was tagged by my Juvenile Green Mamba Dendroaspis angusticeps How it happened? I was cleaning the cages and giving fresh water, and I had removed the Mamba from his enclosure, put him in a temporary container.
When I had done with his cage I removed him and as I was lowering him he got spooked and whipped around, out of the hook and put two fangs into my left hand.

I put him back rinsed the site of the bite, grabbed my protocol bag that hangs on my door, with bandage inside, applied a pressure bandage and proceeded to Hosp, my wife being the driver. I called Marcel, to meet me there so he could speak for me in case things went wrong. 5min after the bite I was hooked up to just about every machine they could find in Trauma, and had been stuck with all the needles they had.
They prepared to hook me up to a ventilator and had all pipes and tubes out that would scare a plumber. I was hooked up with Ringers solution, given Cortizone shots as well as Tetanus.
We consulted with Prof Muller who used to head up the poison unit at Tygerberg as well as Arno Naude, and Dr Tony Phelps, all who was very helpful in the treatment.

and then we waited.. they phoned around and within an hour had 12 vials of polyvalent anti venom on standby, in trauma..

30-40m after bite I had numbness around the mouth, chest felt heavy, and had difficulty breathing, BP and HR went up, and we waited, after 30 min, I breathed a bit easier and all stats returned to normal, monitored for another hour, then moved to ICU for monitoring.

My body was sore as if Ive been beaten all over, had difficulty and painful swallowing till Sunday evening, it felt as if I was balancing a wheelbarrow with bricks on my chest..
At 04h00 sunday morning my hand started swelling my hand went puffy, and continued to down my arm to my elbow till Sunday evening around 22h00.

The supprot i had from my friends Drs and staff was absolutely amazing,b especially in Trauma on how they handled the situation.

Monday morning Dr examined and with MUCH hesitation, discharged me around midday..
Swelling is almost gone, but hand is still clumsy to use, and can’t hold a cup.

but getting there.. Lesson learnt.. get a deeper hook for young elapids.. and dont touch snakes a day before you due to go to Knysna!
If it hasnt yet, it will!
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Re: Green Mamba bite

Postby Fooble » Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:03 am

Glad to hear you're all OKAY.
Must have been hair raising experience , goes to show even to the most cautious handler mistakes can happen.

Thanks For posting.
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Re: Green Mamba bite

Postby Westley Price » Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:18 am

It takes guts to share a story like this, but we all appreciate it as stories like this serves as a wake-up call for all venomous keepers, newbies or seasoned keepers like yourself.

I'm glad you have come out of this experience unscathed.

People often underestimate the value of having your bite protocol in hard copy. Imagine your wife reached the hospital and you were unconscious and you had no one to call. That hard copy will probably save your life!

Just a quick question; is it worthwhile postponing your trip to the hosptial a few minutes to apply the pressure bandage? I always tell myself that I'd rather get into the car first and then apply the pressure bandage en route.
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Re: Green Mamba bite

Postby snake kid » Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:19 am

Man oh man why is so many people getting bitten this last 2 months. Glad your okay, hope you have a speedy recovery and please be careful rather get a shifting box it works wonders and you can build it yourself so its kinda cheap.
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Re: Green Mamba bite

Postby michael » Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:21 am

Glad to hear you alright. I good friend of mine (also a very experienced and cautious handler) was tagged by a Green mamba in very similar circumstances to yours. He had quite a rough time and if I recall correctly received 12 vials of antivenom. I believe this very same mamba bit the guy who sent it to him, when it was just a baby.
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Re: Green Mamba bite

Postby Sico » Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:36 am

Loslappie, your symptoms are very similar to mine from my D Viridis bite in June. Keep an eye on your blood pressure, and heart rate, I am particularly interested in how long it takes yours to return to normal, if it does at all, without medication.
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Re: Green Mamba bite

Postby Loslappie » Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:40 am

westley wrote:Just a quick question; is it worthwhile postponing your trip to the hosptial a few minutes to apply the pressure bandage? I always tell myself that I'd rather get into the car first and then apply the pressure bandage en route.

Westley, as I grabbed my protocol bag I zipped it open (Bandage is inside my protocol bag), and as i called my wife wrapped the bandage, so no time lost at all.. from the time I got bitten to when I was hooked up in Trauma took 5 min.
My rules are No handling when
Ive had alcohol or medication that could impair my thinking
when Im sick
When Im tired
when I have a bad gut feel

My car keys are always in the ignition in the garage and the spare set is right next to the garage door.
my protocol bag alwas hangs in my snake room, on the door where my equipment is.

I only handle when
I have a driver with me
Stone cold sobre
when Im in no rush
If it hasnt yet, it will!
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Re: Green Mamba bite

Postby Loslappie » Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:48 am

Sico wrote:Loslappie, your symptoms are very similar to mine from my D Viridis bite in June. Keep an eye on your blood pressure, and heart rate, I am particularly interested in how long it takes yours to return to normal, if it does at all, without medication.

Sico, yes the symptoms are similar. My HR and BP stabilised bout 60-70 min after the bite.with no medication.. the severity of my bite was nowhere close to yours, as I didnt need AV..which was a blessing..
If it hasnt yet, it will!
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Re: Green Mamba bite

Postby Bushviper » Thu Nov 24, 2011 1:14 pm

Glad to hear they treated you with caution and did not go the antivenom route as first port of call.

Hope your recovery is quick and uneventful. These "love bites" are for the people who have done good things for snakes in the past. You should have had a bad bite but the karma toned it down to just use you to teach and remind others. Thats the way I look at it and nobody is going to change my way of thinking.
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Re: Green Mamba bite

Postby Loslappie » Thu Nov 24, 2011 1:33 pm

Bushviper wrote:Glad to hear they treated you with caution and did not go the antivenom route as first port of call.

Hope your recovery is quick and uneventful. These "love bites" are for the people who have done good things for snakes in the past. You should have had a bad bite but the karma toned it down to just use you to teach and remind others. Thats the way I look at it and nobody is going to change my way of thinking.

Ditto Bushviper!
Thanks once again!
If it hasnt yet, it will!
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Re: Green Mamba bite

Postby atropos » Thu Nov 24, 2011 5:47 pm

Good comment BV. Glad you're ok loslappie!
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Re: Green Mamba bite

Postby lowflyingdaisy » Fri Nov 25, 2011 1:45 am

Wow, Loslappie, :shock:

I am in South Korea and haven't been active on this forum for the last few months. I am so glad that you're OK! Thanks for sharing your experience, it contains valuable lessons to all handlers, and a heads up that even the most experienced handlers are still dealing with potentially lethal, unpredictable snakes.

Hope you make a full recovery in the next few days.
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Re: Green Mamba bite

Postby Pythonodipsas » Fri Nov 25, 2011 8:17 am

Loslappie, I am glad you are ok!!!! Thanks for sharing.
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Re: Green Mamba bite

Postby froot » Fri Nov 25, 2011 9:31 am

Me too, thanks for sharing. Hows your hand?
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Re: Green Mamba bite

Postby Loslappie » Fri Nov 25, 2011 9:42 am

Thanks!
The Swelling on the hand is just about gone. but it is still rather clumsy and aches..
that probably will take a bit to heal.
If it hasnt yet, it will!
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