Praise for ‘fantastic’ staff at Downe after spider's bite

Praise for ‘fantastic’ staff at Downe after spider's bite

5 August 2015

A MOTHER of four who suffered horrific injuries from a poisonous spider bite has credited the Downe Hospital for her recovery.

Thirty four year-old Aideen Hynes was rushed to the Downe in agonising pain after she was bitten on the leg by a false widow spider hiding in her bed sheets at the beginning of July. The spider struck when she instinctively swiped at it as it crawled down her leg. 

Although she had no idea what had caused the searing pain, her husband Darrin, who ran a reptile and exotic pet shop in Downpatrick and Newcastle with Aideen until recently, recognised the distinctive puncture marks on her skin.

Despite minimising the risk of infection by immediately washing the wound with soap and water, Aideen went to the Downe Hospital the following day after becoming increasingly alarmed by the swelling to her limb as the spider’s venom spread.

She said it was with surprise and relief that she was greeted at the Downe by a specialist in tropical diseases who immediately knew how to deal with her.

Aideen believes it was this expertise and her prompt treatment that led to her full, albeit slow, recovery.

“I was so lucky because the doctor I saw at the Downe had spent 25 years in Australia and was well used to spider bites. He even showed me a scar in his side where he had been bitten by a brown recluse spider,” she said.

“He knew exactly what to do and immediately wrapped my leg in a gel used for burns victims to draw out the heat from the wound. I had my leg elevated and was given medication to control spasms caused by the venom.”

Aideen said she then began the first of four antibiotic treatments that would take weeks to clear the infection.

“My leg was completely swollen and it was scabbing over - it was oozing with puss and I couldn’t walk. It was awful,” she said. “I was given crutches as it was so painful.”

Although she describes herself as “tough”, Aideen admits she became more fearful about her health as the infection failed to clear.

“The spider bit me at the beginning of July and I ended up going to the doctors every day but the infection continued. I had many swabs taken and in the end there were so many different types of bacteria that it took all four antibiotics to clear them.

“I am unfazed by the bite itself but it was a scary time and I know people have lost their legs as a result of similar bites.”

Aideen said she is very grateful for her emergency treatment at the Downe, which she is convinced has made a difference to her outcome.

“The staff at the Downe were absolutely fantastic and I was so fortunate to be treated by such an experienced doctor,” she said.

“You would never expect to find a tropical diseases expert in a small hospital and although the unit was very busy I was seen quickly.

“I am sure that made a difference to my recovery. If I had been seen by a doctor who did not know what spider bites entailed, it could have been a different story and the infection could have travelled too far. I was very afraid I was going to require surgery.”

Aideen said her husband found the culprit in their bedroom and put it into a nearby field. Despite the trauma of recent weeks, she said she has not developed a fear of spiders as a result. 

“I was never freaked out by the spider itself which is smaller than your average house spider, although most people would be,” she said.

“At the end of the day spiders do not normally bite but I swiped at it so it thought it was under threat.

“I have been surprised by the length of my recovery though which has already taken five weeks and is not yet complete. I would have thought a few days would have got me over it.”