Ontario toddler recovering after rattlesnake bite, receiving 18 doses of antivenom
Wells Gladwish, 15 months, was treated at 2 hospitals after being bitten by an eastern massasauga rattlesnake
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Gladwish → recover → rattlesnake
A 15-month-old boy from Sarnia, Ont., is recovering at home after being bitten by a rattlesnake at a family cottage on the Thanksgiving long weekend, requiring treatment at two hospitals and 18 doses of antivenom.
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boy → recover → antivenom
Wells Gladwish was bitten on the thumb around 12:45 p.m. on Sunday while spending the afternoon with family at their cottage in Cape Chin North, on the Bruce Peninsula.
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Gladwish → bite → Peninsula
His father, Matt Huggett, said the toddler was walking near a family bonfire when he came upon a snake and tried to pick it up.
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he → say → it
The snake bit Wells on the thumb, which began to turn white within about five minutes.
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which → bite → minutes
“We knew right away we were in a pretty bad situation,” Huggett said.
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Huggett → know → situation
“The nearest hospital was Lion's Head, and we did everything we could to get him there as fast as possible.”
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we → do → him
Staff at Lion's Head Hospital needed multiple attempts to start an IV in the active toddler.
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Staff → need → toddler
After a test dose to check for a potentially severe allergic reaction, the team administered 10 vials of antivenom.
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team → check → antivenom
The hospital had 14 vials in total.
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hospital → have → total
A family member photographed the snake, which was identified as an eastern massasauga rattlesnake, Ontario's only venomous snake species, which lives along the eastern shore of Georgian Bay and on the Bruce Peninsula.
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which → photograph → Peninsula
A family member photographed the snake that bit Wells Gladwish.
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that → photograph → Gladwish
It was identified as an eastern massasauga rattlesnake.
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It → identify → rattlesnake
Transfer from Lion's Head to London
Huggett said doctors and toxicology specialists co-ordinated an emergency response and decided Wells needed further treatment at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), Victoria Hospital.
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Wells → say → Centre
Ornge planned an air ambulance transfer, but Huggett said repeated delays and cancellations left the family waiting as the swelling continued.
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swelling → plan → family
A nurse at Lion's Head advocated for Wells to receive the hospital's remaining four vials of antivenom and to be transported to London by land ambulance.
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Wells → advocate → ambulance
“We could no longer wait for Ornge to make a decision,” Huggett said.
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Huggett → wait → decision
“They ended up putting him in an ambulance.”
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They → end → ambulance
After a three-hour ambulance ride, Wells arrived at LHSC’s Pediatric Critical Care Unit.
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Wells → arrive → Unit
Wells Gladwish was eventually taken to the Children's Hosptial in London, Ont., for additional treatment for a rattlesnake bite (Matt Huggett)
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Gladwish → take → bite
Dr. Rishi Ganesan, a pediatric critical care physician at LHSC's Children's Hospital, said his first priority when he received the call was to support Wells and secure antivenom, as they don't keep it in stock in London.
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they → say → London
He credited the Lion's Head team for having antivenom available and administering it quickly.
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antivenom → credit → it
Ganesan said they sourced additional antivenom and brought it to London under a police escort from the Toronto region to be available when Wells arrived.
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Wells → say → region
Wells received two additional double doses under care in London, bringing the total to 18.
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Wells → receive → 18
Ganesan said he had not treated a venomous snakebite during his decade in Canada, but his training in India proved valuable.
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training → say → India
“I trained in India, many, many years back, and I have managed snakebites of every kind: cobra, viper, krait,” he said.
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he → train → kind
“Some of those things kicked in from the back of my mind, and I felt very comfortable.”
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I → kick → mind
Ganesan said antivenom is derived from horses and can cause a severe allergic reaction, which is why the initial dose must be administered carefully with appropriate monitoring.
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dose → say → monitoring
He said children do not necessarily need less antivenom than adults.
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children → say → adults
Treatment targets the amount of venom, rather than the patient's size, and children can become seriously ill more quickly because the venom has a greater impact relative to their body size.
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venom → target → size
Doctors treated Wells for a rattlesnake bite with 18 doses of antivenom.
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Doctors → treat → antivenom
Doctors monitored Wells's swelling and blood tests to determine whether more antivenom was needed.
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antivenom → monitor → swelling
The venom can damage tissue and interfere with blood clotting, while severe swelling can also restrict blood flow to the affected limb.
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swelling → damage → limb
“Antivenom doesn't fix all the problems with snake envenomation,” Ganesan said.
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Ganesan → fix → envenomation
He said timely treatment generally leads to a good outcome, and he does not anticipate significant long-term complications for Wells.
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he → say → Wells
Huggett said many of the medical staff had never treated a case like Wells's before, but worked together and consulted specialists to guide his care.
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many → say → care
Ganesan also praised the collaboration between hospitals, pharmacists, the Ontario Poison Centre and other specialists who helped secure the medication.
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who → praise → medication
“This was a remarkable experience,” he said.
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he → say → ?
“You had so many people come together and contribute in many small ways to make sure that he got the best care that he deserved.”
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he → have → that
Wells was transferred to the children's inpatient unit before being discharged and returning home to Sarnia.
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Wells → transfer → Sarnia
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
