A woman bit by a rattlesnake at an Austin-area Home Depot remained hospitalized Tuesday, four days after the incident.
The rattlesnake bit Shirley Reynolds on her thumb.
It happened Saturday in the garden section of the Home Depot on Highway 620 at Bee Cave Road in West Travis County
KVUE News learned Tuesday that Reynolds is in good condition at Brackenridge Hospital.
A spokesperson for Home Depot says Reynolds picked up a plant and when she did, she was bitten on the thumb by a snake curled up at the base of the plant.
KVUE News has confirmed that it was a small rattlesnake, one foot long or less.
A Texas Parks and Wildlife expert says that a four-day stay in the hospital is not out of the ordinary when it comes to rattlesnake bites.
"Depending on where the bite is on the body, where the venom is injected... it's not 10 or 15 minutes, it's usually hours. And different people have different reactions to venom," said Mike Burger, Texas Parks & Wildlife. "But you shouldn't hesitate. You should get as quickly as you can to a hospital or clinic."
There are a variety of different rattlesnakes in Texas. It's unclear which variety bit Reynolds.
If any snake bites you, government officials say you should remember three steps.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, you should first wash the bite with soap and water.
Second, immobilize the bite area, keeping it lower than the heart.
Then seek medical help immediately.
The longer it takes to get to the hospital, the more likely long-term complications or even death, could occur.
http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stori....26a26354.html
Linear Mode
