Accident Man in Coma After Hospital Dismisses Venomous Snake Bite as ‘Non-Emergency’

[Magictoad]

7 hours ago, LeRoux said:

Russian Roulette has a feeling of Statistical Consistency, when compared to The Thai Medical System.

No it does not. You just like the sound of your own voice.

[LeRoux]

15 minutes ago, Magictoad said:

No it does not. You just like the sound of your own voice.

Interesting, when sitting at the Keyboard,

I sit in silence.

Does Mr. Toad Appreciate the looks of his own face?

[LeRoux]

18 minutes ago, Magictoad said:

No it does not. You just like the sound of your own voice.

Also, mathematically, taken over maybe 5 or 10 thousand rounds of Russian Roulette,

The Statistics should turn out extremely consistent.  It is simply mathematics.

[connda]

Man that just sucks.  Of course, we're in Thailand so there will be no consequences.  In the US the family would sue the hospital and doctor into oblivion.  The misdiagnosis probably has kill this poor man.  Sad.

[connda]

9 hours ago, G Rex said:

Depending on the bite site, signs of envenomation can take several hours to appear - as has happened in this case.

It is not unusual to have normal blood results for the first hour or more after a bite. 

After this any neurological or haematological changes will become apparent - eg breathlessness, blood clotting disorders.

With the benefit of hindsight - the patient should have been admitted for observation, although I would have thought it would have been stressed that he needed to be observed at home.

As it was confirmed he had been bitten - it must have been assumed to be a 'dry bite' - ie no venom was injected.

Time showed this not to be the case. 

I wonder how effective krait anti-venom is. 

[connda]

1 hour ago, soi3eddie said:

As for the OP, I suspect the bitten young man did not insist on staying for monitoring at the hospital due to costs. Just a thought if he was told all clear.

He's Thai - government hospital - what cost?  30 THB.  Even if it was out of pocket the cost to sit in the emergency room is nil. In a government hospital at the Amphur level it's like 1000 THB for a private room.  Next to nothing for a ward.  Money should have been a non-issue.  Under the same circumstances (and I hope it never happens) I'd stay at the hospital.

[G Rex]

1 hour ago, soi3eddie said:

 

What is the saying? Doctors are failed veterinary surgeons or something like it. Curious as to what animals and where? Cows, horses, dogs, cats or dinosaurs?

 

 

All of the above - except dinosaurs - but I have done (and still do) treat many snakes.

This was in rural Australia.

[soi3eddie]

38 minutes ago, connda said:

I wonder how effective krait anti-venom is. 

 

Don't know. Vern Lovic's advice was: Kraits - night time raiders of tents looking for warmth and deadly, Pit Vipers - ambush predators hidden on pathways and deadly without fast treatment. Cobras - we've all seen videos of these agressive critters and know the outcomes of their bites without quick administration of anti-venom.

 

[Patong2021]

16 hours ago, steven100 said:

This happens fairly regularly here,  in that patients are often miss-diagnosed.   I wouldn't trust a chicken seller let alone a thai doctor. 

 

Seems they are either not fully trained or qualified & have poor judgement in assessing symptoms and correct treatment. 

It just seems that they cannot fathom logic.  There's a cog missing...

 

Thai physicians are trained and they are qualified. The issue plays out in urgent care centers around the world and there are straight forward common sense explanations, which the physicians and the  hospital  authorities including government  do not wish to acknowledge:      There are detailed written protocols to follow. There are even checklists to help.  Physicians do not follow these protocols or use the checklists. This is attributable to: i. Staffing shortages and/or workloads that do not allow time for a  checklist to be completed. When you are the only Urgent Care physician on duty and multiple  emergencies arrive at the same time, you have to ration time to the most critical case, and/or ii. Arrogance on the part of the Physician that allows for the assumption that they know everything.

 

This is why the failure to manage straightforward cases is inexcusable, yet keeps occurring everywhere. It is expensive to have full staff 24/7 and hospitals/governments  don't have the money to do so. The  critical care physicians who work the  5 PM -8  AM  periods tend to be junior doctors and residents and  are often overwhelmed with the patient numbers and cannot  effectively manage the heavy patient load.

 

 

 

 

 

[oslooskar]

1 hour ago, connda said:

I wonder how effective krait anti-venom is. 

 

AI answers your question:

"Krait antivenom is effective—but time is critical. The venom of kraits (especially the Bungarus species like the banded krait and common krait) is highly neurotoxic, affecting the nervous system and leading to respiratory paralysis if untreated. Antivenom is the only specific treatment available, and it can neutralize the venom if administered early enough—ideally within a few hours of the bite.

However, its effectiveness depends on:

• How soon it’s given after the bite.

• The species of krait (not all antivenoms cover every species).

• The amount of venom injected and the patient’s overall health.

Even with antivenom, supportive care like mechanical ventilation is often needed, especially if the patient experiences paralysis or stops breathing. In Thailand and other countries with good medical infrastructure, survival rates are high if the patient receives prompt treatment."

[Letseng]

19 hours ago, oslooskar said:

I don't know what doctors you've been seeing here, but I have found Thai doctors, private hospitals, and Thai medical professionals to be among the best in the world.

Like everywhere there are good & not so good ones.

[oslooskar]

2 hours ago, Letseng said:

Like everywhere there are good & not so good ones.

Of course, that’s true of every country. But in my experience, the overall standard of care I’ve received from Thai doctors and medical staff—especially in private hospitals—has been outstanding, which is why I speak so highly of them.