Slabbert, the venom extraction manager at Lowveld Venom Suppliers, was about to assess the snake that had been removed from a residence by a colleague earlier that day, when it pulled out of the tongs and struck him on his leg.
“It happened so quickly I initially didn’t feel the bite. I thought it had only bumped my leg,” he recalled. But that changed in an instant when first pins and needles and then immense pain rushed into his leg.
Minutes later, this feeling reached his face. This is when his father, Jacques, rushed him to Kiaat Private Hospital. “On our way there, the pins and needles sensation started to increase and my leg became seriously sore. I started suffering from ptosis (droopy eyelids). I was sweating profusely and my mouth was bone dry,” Slabbert said, adding that he had felt nauseous and his neck had become stiff.
Fifteen minutes after leaving White River, Slabbert arrived at Kiaat. “I saw Andrew Geldenhuys, one of our senior snake handlers and also a qualified paramedic, and immediately felt safer.
Minutes later, (local snake expert) Chris Hobkirk arrived and I knew I was in good hands at this stage. They were on the phone with snake bite expert Arno Naudé, and he assisted with treatment preparation.
Thankfully, the doctors were very open to advice and 33 minutes after the bite I was prepped with a subcutaneous injection of 0,5 millilitres of adrenaline followed by 10 vials of South Africa Vaccine Producers’ polyvalent antivenom,” he said.
“Approximately 15 minutes after the infusion started I could open my eyes unaided; I could speak freely to the doctors and respond to questions. The feeling of being able to respond normally again is something I will never forget,” Slabbert said.
He had small skin reactions after the antivenom, but they were minor and slightly itchy. “The side I was bitten on was still red, slightly raised and mildly painful. My oxygen levels were at 98, but my heartrate was 124. This indicated the antivenom was given early enough to reverse any major muscle paralysis with only the slurred speech and ptosis being present. Within an hour I started having rigors, which was quite scary. It took three blankets to keep me warm. Two hours later I was moved to a high care ward. The next morning the bite was still red and swollen, and as a precaution it was decided to keep me for another day. The redness and swelling subsided and a bruise was visible around the bite, encompassing half the calf muscle. A day later I was discharged and the only effects were the bruise that turned into a yellowish blue,” said Slabbert.
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He thanked his team at Lowveld Venom Suppliers for their swift action and for saving his life.
