A Kingwood hospital treats the most snakebites in the US report shows It' s this doctor' s passion Speight - Spencer Greene HEAD TOPICS

A Kingwood hospital treats the most snakebites in the US report shows It' s this doctor' s passion

10/21/2022 2:45:00 PM

A Kingwood doctor treated more snakebite patients than anyone in the U S last year

Speight Spencer Greene

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Houston Chronicle

A Kingwood doctor treated more snakebite patients than anyone in the U.S. last year and is on a path to setting another record this year, according to the North American Snakebite Registry . A Kingwood doctor treated more snakebite patients than anyone in the U S last year Show LessSpencer Greene, M.D., the director of toxicology at HCA Kingwood and clinical professor at the University of Houston College of Medicine, treats more snakebites than any other doctor in the country. He is also consultant for the Houston Zoo.Greene said Speight’s bite wasn’t especially bad. He’s treated eight bites in the last week, with one victim needing to be placed on a ventilator. Greene was scrolling Facebook during a concert when he learned of Speight’s injury. She owns a 4-acre farm near Montgomery, and her parents and brother also own property nearby. With lots of woods nearby, killing snakes is commonplace.“The bite was at the base of my arm where the thumb and palm meet,” she said. She was feeling well enough to leave the hospital the next day. Read more:
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Sterling rallied on Thursday and investors reined in their bets on a big Bank of England interest rate hike in November as UK Prime Minister Liz Truss announced her resignation just six weeks after she was appointed. Read more >> Authorities warn that rainbow fentanyl may show up in Halloween treatsWith rainbow-colored fentanyl showing up in communities across the Bay Area and U.S. , the DEA is warning parents to check their kids' candy this year to make sure it's safe. EIA: US Commercial crude oil inventories decline by 1.72M, against expectations of a 1.38M increaseThe weekly report from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed a decline in crude oil inventories of 1.725M against expectations of an i The New Hyundai Grandeur Is GorgeousUnfortunately, it's not coming to the U.S. As a Lincoln Continental. All that's missing are side mirrors glued to the front fenders. That is hideous NFL owners belatedly realize Dan Snyder is the perfect fall guy'It's no longer just us peasants who want Dan Snyder exiled from the NFL.' ‘It is huge for our district’: Fairview Schools Superintendent says about their upcoming levyFairview Schools Superintendent Keith Ahearn said while how much you pay won’t change, the longevity of the levy will. of 7 Dr.02:18 BERKELEY -- Halloween is just around the corner and kids are ready to go trick-or-treating.inventories by declined by 114K.By Oct 19, 2022 Hyundai It's too bad Americans don't buy big sedans from non-luxury brands, because we won't get this: the new Hyundai Grandeur. Spencer Greene at HCA Healthcare Houston-Kingwood Hospital, displays a photo on his phone from a patient who was bit by a copperhead snake on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022 in Kingwood.S. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Show Less April Speight is typically a cautious person, but one night in August she got a call from a neighbor that one of cows on her Montgomery County farm had gotten out.   Refineries operated at 89. Speight jumped on an ATV to get her son for help as the sun was going down fast on the trails. The Drug Enforcement Agency says parents should take an extra step and check their kids' candy this year to make sure it's safe. Her phone fell on the ground, she got off the ATV to grab it and was jolted by a sting that felt like lightning.S. She knew she'd been bitten by a young copperhead. Now, checking for rainbow fentanyl is being added to that list.4 million barrels per day. While hers was a mild case, Speight became one of more than 50 people treated for snakebites so far this year at HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood, according to the North American Snakebite Registry. Last year, the hospital led the nation for the number of snakebites treated, at 67. "We will do some monitoring this year. Spencer Greene, M.   US commercial crude oil inventories (excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) decreased by 1.D. "I know that it's an issue. Hyundai actually says the steering wheel was inspired by the first-generation Grandeur, a rebadged version of the Mitsubishi Debonair. , the director of toxicology at HCA Kingwood and clinical professor at the University of Houston College of Medicine, treats more snakebites than any other doctor in the country. He is also consultant for the Houston Zoo. The Berkeley police department recently arrested a suspect carrying rainbow fentanyl.4 million barrels, U. “Not all states participate in the national snakebite registry because they do have a toxicologist. This is because they do not have a significant volume of snakebite cases,” Greene said. The concern this Halloween and throughout the holidays is that these drugs can be accidentally mixed with treats as drug dealers use kid-friendly packaging to disguise the opioid. The attacks, he said, are more common in and north of the Lake Houston area because of the wooded areas and water. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI – cash) rose to test the daily high around $83. Spencer Greene, M. "I would like to think somebody would not be creating something to give to kids that is so incredibly harmful but we just can't be too careful," Officer White said.D., board-certified toxicologist, the director of toxicology at HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood and clinical professor at the University of Houston College of Medicine treats more snake bites at the Kingwood hospital than anyone else does in the country. Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. HCA Houston Healthcare Greene said Speight’s bite wasn’t especially bad. He’s treated eight bites in the last week, with one victim needing to be placed on a ventilator. Greene is a well-known researcher and prolific writer on the topic of treating snake bites. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. He also monitors about 30 snakebite groups on social media; Speight knew him from a Facebook group. Dr. Spencer Greene spoke at a luncheon in Kingwood where he shared information about snake safety. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. He mentioned April Speight, who attended the luncheon, and her story. HCA Houston Healthcare Greene was scrolling Facebook during a concert when he learned of Speight’s injury. She owns a 4-acre farm near Montgomery, and her parents and brother also own property nearby. If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. With lots of woods nearby, killing snakes is commonplace. After the bite, a friend at a nearby church heard her cries for help and, while driving her to the hospital in bumper-to-bumper traffic, reached out to Greene on Facebook. She was in the ER by 10:20 p. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. m. and Greene arrived about 15 minutes later. “They were prepared for me when I arrived and knew exactly what to do,” she said. The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice. The anti-venom IV began to relieve some of the pain and swelling that had spread to her elbow. She already knew through the Facebook group that the attacker was a young copperhead. “The bite was at the base of my arm where the thumb and palm meet,” she said. She was feeling well enough to leave the hospital the next day. Each case is unique, but always seek treatment More Information PREVENTION AND PREPARATION TIPS Here's a few tips from Dr. Greene. --Don't go barefooted! Many of the recent snake bites have been teenagers with flip flops on or no shoes at all. --Be vigilant after dark. Always carry a flashlight. -- Most bites occur when people are unaware of the snake's presence."They step on the snake, or they step near the snake, or they stick their hand in a bush. According to our data, the overwhelming majority were people who just didn't see the snake before they got bit," he said. -- Don't stick your hand or foot in a place you can't see because that's how people get bit, especially when it's between 75 and 90 degrees outside --Join the SE Texas Snake ID page to get educated. --If bitten, go to Kingwood Hospital for the best treatment. If not close by, ask on the SE Texas Snake ID page what hospital is your best option. --If it's possible, take a photo of the snake that bit you."If it's a non-venomous, I'll treat you and you go home. I probably don't need to see the photo. We only have two types of venomous snakes in SE Texas-coral snakes and pit vipers. Pit vipers are copperheads, water moccasins (cottonmouth) and rattle snakes," Greene said. Those, he said, require a more extensive treatment protocol. -- Get away from the snake, but don't delay transportation to a hospital. --Remove anything tight like clothing, jewelry, etc."What we worry about here in SE Texas is tissue injury. We don't see a lot of systemic toxicity," he said. --A pit viper attack usually produces swelling, bruising, certain lab abnormalities on occasion, and some systemic toxicity. --Coral snakes have some redness, minimal swelling, no bruising, but will make the patient feel like they're getting tased. "It's an electrical sensation and in terms of pain, way worse," Greene said. --Absolutely elevate immediately."A study out of North Carolina proved elevation improves outcomes," he suggested. --Greene was emphatic on some no-no's:"No tourniquet, no pressure immobilization, no ice, no electrical therapy, no extraction devices, just leave it the hell alone and then get to the correct hospital." A tourniquet, he said, which is cutting off the arterial blood supply, is pretty much condemning the limb to death. --Don't expect to transfer from one hospital to another once you're admitted since many of them have been closed or full."We have now designated snakebites as a service line so we will take snake bite transfers, even when we're closed to everything else," Greene said. --Quit watching television episodes that cut the person's leg or the snakebite area to suck out the venom. It will do more harm than good. -- The golden rule for identifying snakes is don't rely on any one feature. "Oftentimes, it's said venomous snakes have triangular heads. Well, non-venomous snakes can flatten their heads and make them look triangular, just as well, just like a pit viper," he said. See More Collapse Snake bites range from minimal to fatal, Green said. Factors such as the age of the snake, the species, health of the snake, and the last time the snake expended venom can impact the severity. “Hers was what I would consider to be mild to moderate, definitely not something to stay home for, but not a worst-case scenario,” he said. He’s worked in the toxicology field for 15 years and was inspired by his mentor, Donna Seger, who served as president of the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology. “Toxicology is much more than snakebites. It’s overdoses, occupational exposures, substance abuse, plants, mushrooms, snakes and spiders, and much more,” he said. But his passion is snakebites and educating the public about prevention and care. In 2013, Greene founded the Houston Venom Conference, where he educates physicians, nurses, EMS professionals and nature enthusiasts about the management of snakebites and other envenomation - where someone has been exposed to a poison or toxin from a bite or sting. Antivenom is most effective in the first six hours after an attack, but the doctor said that it’s very unlikely for a person to die from a bite. On average, about three or four people die every year, he said. So far in 2022, three people have died in the U.S. “Fatalities are exceptionally rare and the people who die either don’t seek any medical attention or just really unlucky with a nasty envenomation,” he said. For Speight, an everyday movement will send a reminder of the attack. “I still have some pain ocassionally at the bite site when I open jars or water bottles,” she said, “but grateful otherwise to be fully recovered.” To learn more about snakebites, visit .