Two paramedics in Kentucky may lose their licenses despite saving a man’s life. They administered anti-venom to the man who was bitten by a poisonous mamba snake.
Powell County paramedic Eddie Barnes and his team member rushed to the Kentucky Reptile Zoo when the co-director of the zoo, James Harrison was bitten by the snake.
The duo was waiting at the airport with Harrison for a medical helicopter when Harrison told them he needed the anti-venom as soon as possible. He even had his own anti-venom from the zoo.
Barnes mentioned Harrison saying, “He said the first part of the stage is paralysis, second part is respiratory arrest, third part is cardiac arrest. He said, ‘I’m gonna die,” as reported on LEX 18. The paramedic called his supervisor; however, he did not answer the call. So he decided to call the Clark Regional Medical Center. The ER doctor gave them permission to give Harrison the anti-venom.
Now, the two paramedics may lose their license due to a Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS) technicality that started a policy two years ago.
According to the policy, only first responders who have the right certification can be called as wilderness paramedics and administer anti-venom. Neither of the paramedics at the scene had the wilderness certification.
Now the two have a scheduled hearing for Sept.30 that’ll decide if they get to keep their licenses. As per the executive director of KBEMS, Eddie Slone’s statement, the preliminary investigation is complete.
The investigation is done on the basis of a potential violation of regulations. Furthermore, he added that more investigations are either dismissed or the resolution includes training and education for the accused.
Barnes has been disappointed with how events happened, he said, “If we had sat there and let him die, then we would have been morally and ethically responsible, and we could have been criminally charged for his death.”
He further added he’d do the same thing again: “You cannot put a price on a person’s life.” Meanwhile, Harrison’s wife, Kristen, is grateful to the paramedics for saving her husband’s life. She mentioned that all the physicians they spoke to agreed they were heroes and did what needed to be done.
Speaking to Fox 10, she appreciated the first responders and said she wants them working on emergencies. Snake bites, especially when it’s a poisonous one, need quick action as the poison can spread quickly, often a leading cause of death. So the first responders did the right thing instead of waiting.
