North Texas

Snake Bites Can Cost Arm, Leg in More Ways Than One

Treatment can cost tens of thousands

A bite from one of North Texas’ venomous snakes could cost you an arm and a leg in more ways than one.

Medical bills from antivenom treatment for the three main varieties of venomous snake in North Texas — copperheads, rattlesnakes and water moccasins — can easily reach the tens of thousands of dollars.

Parkland Memorial Hospital's North Texas Poison Center Medical Director Dr. Kurt Kleinschmidt said his staff of doctors typically treats 35 to 50 venomous snake bites per year.

"This is not a rare thing," he said. "This is an almost daily thing at times."

Lori Ulmer, of Greenville, suffered her first round of pain in May 2015 when she went to move a pile of plastic piping in her yard and was bitten on the index finger by a baby copperhead that was hiding inside.

"If you’ve ever blown up one of those rubber gloves, that’s what my hand looked like," Ulmer told NBCDFW from the comfort of her hospital bed.

Her second round came days later with the medical bill for treatment with four $6,000 vials of antivenom.

"It’s about a $45,000 mistake to be bitten by a venomous snake in this country, and that’s if nothing goes wrong," said Daryl Sprout, of Snake Encounters, a DFW-based experience described as "The Ultimate Live Animal Show."

Sprout, who routinely handles venomous snakes as a part of his performance, describes himself as "the world’s only standup comic, snake-handling magician." He said he's never been bitten by a venomous snake and never intends to be.

"If it’s just a copperhead bite I’ll probably ride it out," he said. "I'll swell up and I’ll hurt, but the fact is that nobody dies from copperhead bites."

The head of the area’s leading institution treating venomous snake bites said he cannot completely disagree with that rationale. Kleinschmidt said he can sympathize with the high cost of care.

"I understand the gentleman’s comments. On the other hand, I would avoid being too draconian about that attitude," he said. "There are a lot of copperhead bites that do not need to be treated, but it is tough because most healthcare providers are not used to treating snake bites."

The Dallas Zoo has the largest collection of venomous snakes in a zoo setting in the United States, according to a zoo spokesperson, so the staff keeps a hefty supply of antivenom on hand. Zoo Curator of Herpetology Ruston Hartdegan acknowledged the high cost of treatment, but emphasized that a victim should immediately seek medical attention.

"Stay calm and collected," Hartdegan said. "Snap a photo if you can, but don’t risk trying to actually collect the animal to try to ID it because you may just end up getting bitten again."

Hartdegan discourages people from collecting the snake because the same treatment is used for a bite from any of the venomous pit vipers in the United States.

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