Kentucky Paramedics Risk Losing Licenses After Saving Snakebite Victim

Two Kentucky paramedics face potential license revocation after administering lifesaving antivenom to a snake researcher in May. Jim Harrison, co-director of the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, was bitten by a Jameson’s mamba while working on an anti-venom project. Harrison was “in pretty serious shape rather quickly,” said co-director Kristen Wiley. Powell County paramedic Eddie Barnes and his partner responded to the emergency. “He said, ‘I’m gonna die,'” Barnes recalled Harrison telling them. Unable to contact his supervisor, Barnes consulted an ER doctor at Clark Regional Medical Center who authorized the antivenom treatment. The Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services may revoke their licenses because only “wilderness paramedics” can administer antivenom, which Barnes and his partner weren’t certified for. The paramedics face a hearing today to determine their fate. (Story URL)