Spider bite?

[Skidog]

Murca

Thought potus fixed that?

[\threaddrift]

[old goat]

Did all you people telling RA to rush to the doctor, draw circles around the red, etc, notice that he posted 7 days after the bite and was mostly better? No wonder health insurance is expensive when people rush to the doctor for everything. Fortunately RA showed more common sense. With a spider bite there's nothing a doctor can do unless and until it gets infected or skin dies. I've seen lots of people with spider bites who got antibiotics. I never saw one where it did any good. Yeah, you can get MRSA from a spider bite. You can get it from any break in the skin or out of the clear blue sky like my kid. Spiders aren't particular carriers of MRSA. Now the bites that really are dangerous as far as infection are human bites (and Komodo dragons I think I read somewhere.)

As far as brown recluse go--their range is irrelevant, since there are a number of species around the country that can produce the same symptoms--red with dead rotting skin in the middle. For that matter all spiders are venomous to some degree. This one sounds like a black widow but symptoms aren't severe enough to say for sure. RA--it seems like you were right about the karma thing. Don't kill any more of them.

[legallyillegal]

move to the pnw asap for much relief.

PNW is home of the fastest spider in the world.

[Danno]

Any ER will treat you for free.

Not sure if that's really true. They won't turn you down for lack of payment, but you will still be billed, I'm pretty sure.

[jamal]

Yesterday I was packing up after a weekend visiting family in Canada. Stayed in the downstairs bedroom of my grandparents' and as I pick up my suitcase see a black widow walking across the sheets. Ugh.

[TNKen]

Not sure if that's really true. They won't turn you down for lack of payment, but you will still be billed, I'm pretty sure.

This, then release the hounds on you when you don't pay.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Did all you people telling RA to rush to the doctor, draw circles around the red, etc, notice that he posted 7 days after the bite and was mostly better? No wonder health insurance is expensive when people rush to the doctor for everything. Fortunately RA showed more common sense. With a spider bite there's nothing a doctor can do unless and until it gets infected or skin dies. I've seen lots of people with spider bites who got antibiotics. I never saw one where it did any good. Yeah, you can get MRSA from a spider bite. You can get it from any break in the skin or out of the clear blue sky like my kid. Spiders aren't particular carriers of MRSA. Now the bites that really are dangerous as far as infection are human bites (and Komodo dragons I think I read somewhere.)

Isn't it most likely that the person being bitten by the spider is a carrier of community acquired MRSA and that the bite is just an opportunity for the infection to get past the skin? I think in some communities the rate of community acquired MRSA is approaching 50%.

Not sure if that's really true. They won't turn you down for lack of payment, but you will still be billed, I'm pretty sure.

This, then release the hounds on you when you don't pay.

Should people who choose not to buy insurance get free care? Should the hospital write off all care rendered to folks who don't want to or can't pay?

[raisingarizona13]

Well it's day 10 or 11 now and most of the symptoms have faded away. The bite location is still a little swollen and still sore but nothing like it was.

I'm now thinking it was for sure a widow. The bite felt like a tiny pin prick and swelled up immediately. For about 10 days I had muscle spasms/tremors all over my body and my stomach and lower back especially. The bite area had radiating pain that I can still feel. It spreads throughout my shoulder, upper right arm, the back and side of my neck and all the way down the scapulae and shoulder blade. Since I'm not dead I'm figuring I'm going to live a little longer. Thanks for the input, I was a little worried there for a few.

[liv2ski]

Glad your feeling better. Fuck spider karma, if they look dangerous, I kill the nasty fuckers.

[old goat]

Isn't it most likely that the person being bitten by the spider is a carrier of community acquired MRSA and that the bite is just an opportunity for the infection to get past the skin? I think in some communities the rate of community acquired MRSA is approaching 50%.



Should people who choose not to buy insurance get free care? Should the hospital write off all care rendered to folks who don't want to or can't pay?

I agree--if someone gets MRSA infection of a spider bite the MRSA almost certainly came from the victim, not the perp. My kid got MRSA spontaneously in his armpit (no he doesn't shave his pits.) He was living in a frat house at the time. Probably 100% CAMRSA incidence.

Regardless of whether it is right or wrong, non-profit hospitals need to do a certain amount of charity care to justify their non-profit status. If they didn't write off bad debt they would actually have to go out in the community and look for good to do. BTW--anyone stuck with a hospital bill they can't pay should try to work with the hospital rather than just walk away. Most will actually work with you to a greater or lesser extent. You should be prepared to prove it with personal financial data. I was at a budget meeting for Tahoe Forest Hospital where the CFO says a lot of the people who could ask for financial assistance don't--presumably because they don't want to share their information (or IMO perhaps their immigration status).