Rattlesnake Bite Kills Woman In Southeast Georgia

GLYNN COUNTY, GA — A 62-year-old woman died from a rattlesnake bite she received a month ago while visiting a friend in Brunswick, Georgia which is 79 miles south of Savannah. Priscilla Meridith, of Waverly, suffered an allergic reaction and heart attack after being bitten May 17 by a canebrake (timber) rattlesnake, Action News Jax reported. She was subsequently placed in a medically induced coma.

Meridith was not given antivenom at Southeast Georgia Health System Hospital Brunswick Campus following the bite because she was allergic, the New York Daily News reported.

A GoFundMe site set up for Meridith said that she had a severe allergic reaction, went into anaphylactic shock and had a heart attack after receiving the medicine. Doctors had to place her on a ventilator to help her breathe, while undergoing kidney dialysis daily. Ultimately she didn't survive those complications.

Georgia Poison Control officials told the TV station that they recommend giving antivenom to patients who are allergic, and then treating any symptoms of an allergic reaction, because the serum can still counter a poisonous snake bite.

The online fundraiser was started May 20 to raise money for Meridith's treatment. It has since raised nearly $2,500 that the family says will be used for funeral expenses.

"Thank you to everyone who has helped with donations and your prayers," Meridith's daughter wrote on the site.

There are numerous venomous snakes in Georgia, including pit vipers, copperheads, and pigmy rattlesnakes, according to Georgia's Department of Natural Resources. Timber rattlesnakes may reach up to 5 feet in length and some may have an orange-brown stripe down the middle of their back. The tail is black with rattles at the tip. This species is passive if not pestered, rarely attacking if you back away and leave it alone, GDNR added.

If you are bitten by a venomous snake, GDNR provided the following advice:

• Do stay calm. Keep the bitten area below heart level, and remove rings, watches, and tight clothing. Try to identify the offending snake if you can do so easily, without putting yourself at risk or wasting valuable time.
• Do get to the nearest hospital or emergency medical facility immediately, even if you suspect a dry bite. The universal treatment for a serious snakebite is the use of antivenin or snakebite serum, which should only be administered by a medical doctor. If local doctors aren’t sure which antivenin to use, advise them to contact the American Association of Poison Control Centers (1-800-222-1222).
• Don't eat or drink anything, including alcoholic beverages or medicines.
• Don't run or engage in strenuous activity.
• Don't cut into or incise bite marks with a blade.
• Don't apply a tourniquet after a pit viper bite (although it may be helpful after an elapid bite).
• Don't use a stun gun or other electrical shock. Don't freeze or apply extreme cold to the area of the bite.

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