A little girl in Arizona went 30 hours with snake venom coursing through her veins after doctors dismissed her symptoms.
Allie Brasfield, 7, was on a family vacation earlier this month when she tripped in the grass and quickly brushed it off to continue playing.
Over the next day her left foot swelled and turned purple, with the discoloration beginning to spread up her leg.
Local doctors were stumped and initially sent the family home but Allie became violently sick.
It wasn’t until the Brasfields went to a larger hospital in nearby Phoenix that doctors worked out she’d been bitten by a rattlesnake.
Doctors at two different emergency departments saw Allie’s leg and believed her ankle was sprained. They conducted X-rays and other tests but did not detect the snake venom
The girl had to undergo blood transfusions and two surgeries once doctors realized the cause of her injury.
Antivenom is most effective within 24 hours of a bite. Given that 30 hours had elapsed before Allie got the antivenom she needed, her family considers it lucky that their daughter is still alive.
It’s not clear what kind of surgeries doctors performed specifically, but typically when venom causes severe swelling, doctors have to make incisions in the skin and connective tissue around muscles to reduce swelling and pressure on the muscles.
Doctors may also have to remove dead tissue that the venom has destroyed to prevent infection.
The terrifying ordeal began earlier this month during a family trip to Gilbert Regional Park in Arizona.
The family was enjoying their day next to the canal when Allie tripped and fell, thinking she sprained her ankle.
She didn’t see any rustling in the grass or hear the characteristic rattling sound.
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Allie said: ‘It didn’t hurt right away.’
When the family got home, Allie’s leg continued to swell and she became nauseous.
Her mother Amber took her to the hospital, where doctors performed X-rays. When nothing appeared broken, they ruled it a sprain and sent the family home.
They went to another emergency department that same day for a second opinion, and were sent home again.
Mrs Brasfield said: ‘The first one said it was a sprained ankle and sent us home.
‘The second one didn’t know what it was. They were great and did blood work and imaging trying to figure it out, but they didn’t know either.’
Since a third hospital discovered her body had been poisoned by rattlesnake venom, Allie has undergone two surgeries and will have a third this week aimed at restoring blood flow to her leg
Allie’s nausea got worse and she began vomiting.
When the family arrived at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Mrs Brasfield mentioned her husband asked whether it could be the result of a rattlesnake bite.
She reported the doctors conducted a toxicology test, which revealed the presence of rattlesnake venom in her blood. There are many types of rattlesnakes and it is not known which specific kind bit Allie.
Mortality rates vary, but death is fairly rare, ranging from three percent without antivenom and 0.3 percent with the treatment.
The US Poison Control Center puts mortality at one death per 736 patients.
However, there can be serious complications from a bite, including tissue loss, deformity or loss of some bodily function, depending where the bite is.
In the most extreme cases, amputation might be necessary. In Allie’s case, doctors were able to reduce swelling in her leg and restart blood flow to the area, and she kept her leg.
She also required 40 vials of antivenom, which her mother said was because the venom had been in her daughter’s body for so long. For reference, the typical dose meant to be administered right after the bite occurs is between four and 12 vials.
Allie’s father, Keith Brasfield, said: ‘It was the scariest moment I have ever experienced in my life, and it went on for days, not knowing if she was going to pull through.’
Allie has to undergo a third surgery according to her family’s GoFundMe page, to help defray the massive medical costs. The family did not say specifically what the surgery aims to do, though.
Allie will undergo physical and occupational therapy to regain function of her leg
In Gilbert, Arizona, the most common rattlesnake species is the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Their insurance does not cover the antivenom treatments, which can cost as much as $17,000 each.
Mrs Brasfield said: ‘They’re hoping that just with physical therapy and occupational therapy that she will be able to make full recovery.
‘Nothing about her case is normal.’
Allie will have to undergo more physical and occupational therapy to gain strength back in her leg. She still can’t put any weight on it and is using a wheelchair.
Rattlesnake bites are relatively rare, with about 8,000 people being bitten by any kind of venomous snake yearly. Around 10 to 15 people die from the venom.
The bites lead to severe pain and swelling at the spot where the bite occurred. It often causes excessive bleeding as well as nausea and swelling in the throat, making it difficult to breathe.
The venom in snakes’ fangs damages tissues and affects the circulatory system by destroying skin and blood cells, leading to internal bleeding.
The venom primarily consists of hemotoxic components, which are substances that specifically target the blood and vascular systems.