How a world renowned snake expert’s desperate plea for his life almost cost a paramedic his license
Two emergency medical technicians saw allegations against them dropped after administering anti-venom to a snake-bite victim.
I don’t know about you, but I’d drink a warm pint of anti-venom if it meant surviving a bite from a black mamba.
Two emergency medical technicians in Powell County, Kentucky, recently saw allegations against them dropped after administering anti-venom to a snake-bite victim—despite concerns they had overstepped their authorised medical jurisdiction.
Earlier this year, paramedics Eddie Barnes and a colleague were dispatched to assist Jim Harrison, a renowned expert on venomous snakes, who had been bitten by a black mamba - the second-longest venomous snake in the world after the king cobra.
Given the situation, Barnes made the judgment to administer anti-venom on site. A few hours later, however, he was informed by their medical director, Dr. Walter Lubbers, that such treatment was not permitted under paramedic protocols. Lubbers warned the paramedics their licenses could face revocation.
“If you don’t give it to me, I’m gonna die”
“The only people who can give anti-venom is wilderness paramedics, and that was the first time I’d ever heard of anything like that,” Barnes said.
Barnes defended his decision by citing Harrison’s own instructions: Harrison, recognising his perilous situation, had warned the responders that without the anti-venom, his survival was unlikely. “This man knew exactly what he had. He knew exactly what we need to do, and he told us what we need to do,” Barnes said. “He said, then I’m gonna die. If you don’t give it to me, I’m gonna die. If I had to listen to somebody, I would listen to a world renowned snake expert.”
At a hearing of the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS), the Preliminary Inquiry Board reviewed the case. They found that although the paramedics had acted outside formal scope by self-reporting the breach, the circumstances were “unique” and as such the case merited dismissal.
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30th District Senator Brandon Smith admitted that the case may well lead to rules and regulations changes in the future: “It is sad that it made national news for all the wrong reasons, and just a little bit overzealous there to threaten and want to take these men’s medical license for the type of paramedic work they do, which was very devastating,” Smith said.
As for Barnes, he was philosophical about the whole situation: “You can’t put a price on a human life, especially that human life is sitting there telling you exactly what you need to do to save his life,” he said. “I don’t want anybody else to run into the same problem that we have. It’s not fun.”
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