Boxing, Video Games and Carbon Monoxide Are Providing Unusual Treatments for Arizonans
Many Arizonans turn to unconventional treatments to obtain a better quality of life when dealing with specific medical ailments.
The seemingly counterintuitive treatments found in the Arizona desert include boxing training for Parkinson’s patients, violent video games aiding war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, and a new carbon monoxide therapy that researchers are developing to combat life-threatening snake bites.
The latter treatment is especially contradictory in nature, since carbon monoxide is known to be toxic to humans in certain concentrations. But as Scottsdale division chief of emergency medical services Joseph Early explained, “The concept of using something bad to get rid of something worse has been a part of medicine for a long time.”
Treating Parkinson’s patients through a sport many associate with causing the disease, and healing war veterans with PTSD via violent shoot-‘em-up video games, is inherently ironic. However, from the results seen and felt, the avant-garde might be viewed more broadly as a progressive way to combat these conditions.
The seemingly counterintuitive treatments found in the Arizona desert include boxing training for Parkinson’s patients, violent video games aiding war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, and a new carbon monoxide therapy that researchers are developing to combat life-threatening snake bites.
The latter treatment is especially contradictory in nature, since carbon monoxide is known to be toxic to humans in certain concentrations. But as Scottsdale division chief of emergency medical services Joseph Early explained, “The concept of using something bad to get rid of something worse has been a part of medicine for a long time.”
Treating Parkinson’s patients through a sport many associate with causing the disease, and healing war veterans with PTSD via violent shoot-‘em-up video games, is inherently ironic. However, from the results seen and felt, the avant-garde might be viewed more broadly as a progressive way to combat these conditions.
Punching Through Parkinson's
Phoenix-area boxing trainer Marty Barrett and a new client with Parkinson’s disease were seeing results from their training regimen, but a doctor wasn’t convinced.
Barrett recalled that one of the man’s doctors told him, “I don’t think you should box with him anymore. It’s probably a dangerous idea. He might fall.”
Undeterred, Barrett asked the doctor to come watch a training session, and vowed that he could get the doctor’s patient to jog. The doctor responded with an ultimatum: If Barrett could deliver on his promise, he’d buy him any piece of equipment he wanted for his gym. If he didn’t, Barrett had to promise never to see his patient again…
Every year, approximately 60,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, with even more cases going undiagnosed, according to the National Parkinson’s Foundation. The foundation notes that about one million Americans live with Parkinson’s, “which is more than the combined number of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and Lou Gehrig’s disease.”
An incurable, progressive and degenerative neurological disorder, Parkinson’s causes symptoms like tremors, as well as problems with balance and gait. The disease is more common in men, who are 1.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s than women.
The sport of boxing is probably more closely associated with causing Parkinson’s disease, as many people link the disorder to boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who suffered from Parkinson’s until his death in 2016.
“We know that there’s an association between concussion or traumatic brain injury and increased rate of Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. David Shprecher, a neurologist at Banner Boswell Medical Center in Sun City.
“So, it may be a factor that increases the risk, but it’s unclear if this is a direct cause or not,” he said.
Shprecher noted that while there’s no clear link between Parkinson’s and brain injuries (like those suffered from boxing), head injuries could bring added stress to cells in the brain connected to the disease.
The irony is that training those suffering from Parkinson’s in the fundamentals of boxing strategy and proper form actually helps alleviate individuals’ symptoms — as long as they’re not receiving any actual blows.
Barrett, who’s now the owner of 12th Round Fit Boxing gym in Scottsdale, started training his first Parkinson’s patient three years ago.
“That came about because of ego on my part,” Barrett said.
While training people at a previous gym location in Old Town Scottsdale, Barrett was asked by a woman who he estimated to be in her mid-70s, if he could train a person with Parkinson’s. Barrett responded with a confident “yes,” despite not knowing much of the disorder outside of celebrities who suffered from it — such as actor Michael J. Fox.
“After that, I got online and looked up Parkinson’s and realized I had my work cut out for me,” Barrett said.
The Phoenix native said he also started calling neurologists he knew, and those doctors echoed Barrett’s thoughts that training people with Parkinson’s disease in the art of boxing would be a challenge. But after training with legends of the sport like Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Floyd Mayweather Sr. years ago, Barrett didn’t shy away from training people with far more physical limitations. About a month later, he began training the woman’s husband.
“Immediately, within two or three sessions, his wife was saying that she could see a difference in his walk,” Barrett said of the first person with Parkinson’s he trained to box.
Eventually, he made a promise to that man’s doctor, who was skeptical of the exercise regimen Barrett was implementing.
When the doctor took time away from his practice to see his patient train, “He jogs about 15 yards, laughing and saying ‘look at me!’” Barrett recollected with a smile.
The doctor relented and even started sending more of his patients with Parkinson’s disease to train with Barrett. Today, at his new Parkinson’s-friendly gym (without stairs), Barrett actively trains about 40 Parkinson’s patients. Some come in once per week, others come in more frequently.
“As a neurologist who specializes in treatment of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, I feel that exercise … play(s) an important role in complementing the effect of medication and treatment of symptoms,” Shprecher said.
Dr. Russell Teames, a chiropractic neurologist who’s referred patients to Barrett’s gym, said that rigorous, high-intensity exercise is often the best way to combat the disease.
“In certain cases, the ones that seem to tolerate exercise or neuro rehab really well — and they can tolerate a lot of it — I send them over to Marty,” Teames said.
The secret to Barrett’s success in his mind is treating everyone like a fighter. Nobody gets special treatment in his gym.
Barrett recalled that one of the man’s doctors told him, “I don’t think you should box with him anymore. It’s probably a dangerous idea. He might fall.”
Undeterred, Barrett asked the doctor to come watch a training session, and vowed that he could get the doctor’s patient to jog. The doctor responded with an ultimatum: If Barrett could deliver on his promise, he’d buy him any piece of equipment he wanted for his gym. If he didn’t, Barrett had to promise never to see his patient again…
Every year, approximately 60,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, with even more cases going undiagnosed, according to the National Parkinson’s Foundation. The foundation notes that about one million Americans live with Parkinson’s, “which is more than the combined number of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and Lou Gehrig’s disease.”
An incurable, progressive and degenerative neurological disorder, Parkinson’s causes symptoms like tremors, as well as problems with balance and gait. The disease is more common in men, who are 1.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s than women.
The sport of boxing is probably more closely associated with causing Parkinson’s disease, as many people link the disorder to boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who suffered from Parkinson’s until his death in 2016.
“We know that there’s an association between concussion or traumatic brain injury and increased rate of Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. David Shprecher, a neurologist at Banner Boswell Medical Center in Sun City.
“So, it may be a factor that increases the risk, but it’s unclear if this is a direct cause or not,” he said.
Shprecher noted that while there’s no clear link between Parkinson’s and brain injuries (like those suffered from boxing), head injuries could bring added stress to cells in the brain connected to the disease.
The irony is that training those suffering from Parkinson’s in the fundamentals of boxing strategy and proper form actually helps alleviate individuals’ symptoms — as long as they’re not receiving any actual blows.
Barrett, who’s now the owner of 12th Round Fit Boxing gym in Scottsdale, started training his first Parkinson’s patient three years ago.
“That came about because of ego on my part,” Barrett said.
While training people at a previous gym location in Old Town Scottsdale, Barrett was asked by a woman who he estimated to be in her mid-70s, if he could train a person with Parkinson’s. Barrett responded with a confident “yes,” despite not knowing much of the disorder outside of celebrities who suffered from it — such as actor Michael J. Fox.
“After that, I got online and looked up Parkinson’s and realized I had my work cut out for me,” Barrett said.
The Phoenix native said he also started calling neurologists he knew, and those doctors echoed Barrett’s thoughts that training people with Parkinson’s disease in the art of boxing would be a challenge. But after training with legends of the sport like Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Floyd Mayweather Sr. years ago, Barrett didn’t shy away from training people with far more physical limitations. About a month later, he began training the woman’s husband.
“Immediately, within two or three sessions, his wife was saying that she could see a difference in his walk,” Barrett said of the first person with Parkinson’s he trained to box.
Eventually, he made a promise to that man’s doctor, who was skeptical of the exercise regimen Barrett was implementing.
When the doctor took time away from his practice to see his patient train, “He jogs about 15 yards, laughing and saying ‘look at me!’” Barrett recollected with a smile.
The doctor relented and even started sending more of his patients with Parkinson’s disease to train with Barrett. Today, at his new Parkinson’s-friendly gym (without stairs), Barrett actively trains about 40 Parkinson’s patients. Some come in once per week, others come in more frequently.
“As a neurologist who specializes in treatment of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, I feel that exercise … play(s) an important role in complementing the effect of medication and treatment of symptoms,” Shprecher said.
Dr. Russell Teames, a chiropractic neurologist who’s referred patients to Barrett’s gym, said that rigorous, high-intensity exercise is often the best way to combat the disease.
“In certain cases, the ones that seem to tolerate exercise or neuro rehab really well — and they can tolerate a lot of it — I send them over to Marty,” Teames said.
The secret to Barrett’s success in his mind is treating everyone like a fighter. Nobody gets special treatment in his gym.
“The thing I find here is they push me,” said Robert Lane, a 71-year-old who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2013. “So, it’s tough, but I feel 100 percent better.”
While training under Barrett, Lane has noticed positive results such as less shaking and improved balance.
Darrel James, who also trains at Barrett’s gym, echoed Lane’s sentiment.
“The training helps me with my balance,” he said. “My balance is my worst issue with Parkinson’s.”
Interestingly, those who have decided to box as a means of curbing their Parkinson’s symptoms have full support from their doctors, despite Barrett’s first experience being one of skepticism and caution.
James said his neurologist thinks his boxing training is a great idea.
Harvey Karchmer, who was diagnosed with a slow-progressing form of Parkinson’s, is part of a clinical trial in San Francisco. He said his doctor out there is “very, very pro-boxing.”
Lane might still be getting the bulk of his exercise by walking on a treadmill instead of by boxing were it not for an endorsement from his doctor.
“My neurologist … recommended that I look into this,” Lane said. “His view is that exercise like boxing, ballroom dancing, really helps … and I didn’t fancy being a ballroom dancer.”
According to a 2011 academic paper for the American Physical Therapy Association, patients displayed short- and long-term improvements in balance, gait and quality of life after undergoing a boxing training program, in spite of the progressive nature of Parkinson’s disease.
Boxing training helped improve quality of life for Lane, James, Karchmer and many others who’ve trained under Barrett. And while Parkinson’s disease remains incurable, improving people’s outlook each day is what motivates Barrett.
“We’re not going to stop Parkinson’s,” he said. “We don’t perform any miracles. But we can mask some of the symptoms for a while.”
On the far back wall of 12th Round Fit is a canvas with a picture of Muhammad Ali and one of his many quotes.
The quote says, “Don’t count the days. Make the days count.”
While training under Barrett, Lane has noticed positive results such as less shaking and improved balance.
Darrel James, who also trains at Barrett’s gym, echoed Lane’s sentiment.
“The training helps me with my balance,” he said. “My balance is my worst issue with Parkinson’s.”
Interestingly, those who have decided to box as a means of curbing their Parkinson’s symptoms have full support from their doctors, despite Barrett’s first experience being one of skepticism and caution.
James said his neurologist thinks his boxing training is a great idea.
Harvey Karchmer, who was diagnosed with a slow-progressing form of Parkinson’s, is part of a clinical trial in San Francisco. He said his doctor out there is “very, very pro-boxing.”
Lane might still be getting the bulk of his exercise by walking on a treadmill instead of by boxing were it not for an endorsement from his doctor.
“My neurologist … recommended that I look into this,” Lane said. “His view is that exercise like boxing, ballroom dancing, really helps … and I didn’t fancy being a ballroom dancer.”
According to a 2011 academic paper for the American Physical Therapy Association, patients displayed short- and long-term improvements in balance, gait and quality of life after undergoing a boxing training program, in spite of the progressive nature of Parkinson’s disease.
Boxing training helped improve quality of life for Lane, James, Karchmer and many others who’ve trained under Barrett. And while Parkinson’s disease remains incurable, improving people’s outlook each day is what motivates Barrett.
“We’re not going to stop Parkinson’s,” he said. “We don’t perform any miracles. But we can mask some of the symptoms for a while.”
On the far back wall of 12th Round Fit is a canvas with a picture of Muhammad Ali and one of his many quotes.
The quote says, “Don’t count the days. Make the days count.”
Video-Gaming Vets
Eyes focused, he’s crouched behind the kitchen entryway with a loaded SCAR-L assault rifle pressed firmly against his chest.
The holographic red dot is in focus, but the view is blurred by the adrenaline rushing to his head. Fingers at the ready. There's only one enemy left. He could come from either side. Ears strain desperately, listening for any sound — but the pounding of his heart drowns everything out.
Suddenly, a faint rustle of grass from the right.
The enemy location is betrayed.
Quick left-click, shoot out the adjacent window. Scroll down three, stun grenade. Click left, hold for two, now throw. Seconds later, explosions fill his ears with ringing. Press W, hold shift, running tap F and blitz through the exit doorway.
Smoke is everywhere, but in his right peripheral he sees movement and the enemy. He spams that left click of the mouse. Bullets rain out, guttural sounds emanate from the falling body of the enemy with blood spraying everywhere.
The scene fades to gray.
U.S. Army and Marine veteran Nick Paul just won a match in the popular video game, “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.” Paul, who lives in Phoenix, is one of more than 500,000 American veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. For him, video games are a form of therapy.
One of the newer therapeutic methods being implemented in controlled test groups around the country, the idea is that video games expose the patients to audio and visual stimuli related to a traumatic event in an effort to make them less threatening through repeated exposure in a safe environment (otherwise referred to as exposure therapy).
Veterans using video games as a means to cope is not a new concept.
The popular first-person-shooter “Call of Duty” video game franchise was originally released in 2003, the same year that Operation Iraqi Freedom got underway.
Veterans with PTSD from both Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom make up about 15 out of every 100 veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Center for PTSD.
During deployment, thousands of service members played “Call of Duty” as a means to unwind.
Jason Keller, who lives in Glendale, served two tours in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was among the soldiers who played video games in their free time.
"We used ‘Call of Duty’ as an escape,” Keller said. “Funny how we escaped to a violent video game. I had my own XBOX and PlayStation over there, and we would just play for hours.”
Paul had a much different experience with the “Call of Duty” franchise. While he believes that certain games help him with his PTSD, a scene from the popular and visually realistic “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” seemed to do more harm than good.
“So, the opening scene, you’re in a Humvee and an IED goes off,” Paul said. “I was just like, screw this, I’m out.”
Paul explained that the scene from the game severely triggered his PTSD, and just wasn’t what he wanted to see or hear in that moment — illustrating the potential drawbacks of violent video games as a means to curb PTSD symptoms.
In 2007, the same year “Modern Warfare” was released, researchers realized that the popular game was being played by thousands of service members during and after their return from deployments, but further research was needed. This marked the beginning of substantial research wherein the Virtual Iraq project was launched. The simulation produced images and sounds delivered through a headset, and was created to treat Iraq War veterans suffering from PTSD.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs focuses primarily on evidenced-based treatments for PTSD, according to an email from VA Public Affairs Officer Ndidi Mojay. As such, the VA does recognize studies conducted using virtual reality exposure therapy for the treatment of PTSD.
Anthony Peutz, a 37-year-old network engineer who lives in Yuma, served on board the USS Carl Vinson as an intelligence specialist and strike planning analyst who directly supported the initial incursion efforts into Afghanistan immediately following the events of 9/11.
"We were the first carrier group to initiate attacks against the Taliban after 9/11, and without going into detail, at the age of 21 I was doing things that most people will probably never experience the intensity of ever … in their entire life,” Peutz said.
Peutz, known in the online world as “OneKillQuota,” is a gamer and live-streamer for Microsoft XBOX's Mixer.com streaming platform. Games he plays frequently include the aforementioned “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” and “Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege,” both considered violent, graphic video games.
The mechanics of exposure therapy is what interested Peutz.
"When a person experiences combat, their body is heightened into an extreme fight-flight mode,” he said. “We were trained to stick in that stuff and act within the training. So, when we get home, that smell, sound or visual would mechanically, behaviorally trigger that same body response."
Peutz believes that changing the stakes of the situation through video games can render a different response.
"So, in re-living it, but ensuring that we are safe and don't have to escalate to fight, they are effectively re-programming the body's response to it and that is effective,” he said.
The holographic red dot is in focus, but the view is blurred by the adrenaline rushing to his head. Fingers at the ready. There's only one enemy left. He could come from either side. Ears strain desperately, listening for any sound — but the pounding of his heart drowns everything out.
Suddenly, a faint rustle of grass from the right.
The enemy location is betrayed.
Quick left-click, shoot out the adjacent window. Scroll down three, stun grenade. Click left, hold for two, now throw. Seconds later, explosions fill his ears with ringing. Press W, hold shift, running tap F and blitz through the exit doorway.
Smoke is everywhere, but in his right peripheral he sees movement and the enemy. He spams that left click of the mouse. Bullets rain out, guttural sounds emanate from the falling body of the enemy with blood spraying everywhere.
The scene fades to gray.
U.S. Army and Marine veteran Nick Paul just won a match in the popular video game, “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.” Paul, who lives in Phoenix, is one of more than 500,000 American veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. For him, video games are a form of therapy.
One of the newer therapeutic methods being implemented in controlled test groups around the country, the idea is that video games expose the patients to audio and visual stimuli related to a traumatic event in an effort to make them less threatening through repeated exposure in a safe environment (otherwise referred to as exposure therapy).
Veterans using video games as a means to cope is not a new concept.
The popular first-person-shooter “Call of Duty” video game franchise was originally released in 2003, the same year that Operation Iraqi Freedom got underway.
Veterans with PTSD from both Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom make up about 15 out of every 100 veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Center for PTSD.
During deployment, thousands of service members played “Call of Duty” as a means to unwind.
Jason Keller, who lives in Glendale, served two tours in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was among the soldiers who played video games in their free time.
"We used ‘Call of Duty’ as an escape,” Keller said. “Funny how we escaped to a violent video game. I had my own XBOX and PlayStation over there, and we would just play for hours.”
Paul had a much different experience with the “Call of Duty” franchise. While he believes that certain games help him with his PTSD, a scene from the popular and visually realistic “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” seemed to do more harm than good.
“So, the opening scene, you’re in a Humvee and an IED goes off,” Paul said. “I was just like, screw this, I’m out.”
Paul explained that the scene from the game severely triggered his PTSD, and just wasn’t what he wanted to see or hear in that moment — illustrating the potential drawbacks of violent video games as a means to curb PTSD symptoms.
In 2007, the same year “Modern Warfare” was released, researchers realized that the popular game was being played by thousands of service members during and after their return from deployments, but further research was needed. This marked the beginning of substantial research wherein the Virtual Iraq project was launched. The simulation produced images and sounds delivered through a headset, and was created to treat Iraq War veterans suffering from PTSD.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs focuses primarily on evidenced-based treatments for PTSD, according to an email from VA Public Affairs Officer Ndidi Mojay. As such, the VA does recognize studies conducted using virtual reality exposure therapy for the treatment of PTSD.
Anthony Peutz, a 37-year-old network engineer who lives in Yuma, served on board the USS Carl Vinson as an intelligence specialist and strike planning analyst who directly supported the initial incursion efforts into Afghanistan immediately following the events of 9/11.
"We were the first carrier group to initiate attacks against the Taliban after 9/11, and without going into detail, at the age of 21 I was doing things that most people will probably never experience the intensity of ever … in their entire life,” Peutz said.
Peutz, known in the online world as “OneKillQuota,” is a gamer and live-streamer for Microsoft XBOX's Mixer.com streaming platform. Games he plays frequently include the aforementioned “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” and “Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege,” both considered violent, graphic video games.
The mechanics of exposure therapy is what interested Peutz.
"When a person experiences combat, their body is heightened into an extreme fight-flight mode,” he said. “We were trained to stick in that stuff and act within the training. So, when we get home, that smell, sound or visual would mechanically, behaviorally trigger that same body response."
Peutz believes that changing the stakes of the situation through video games can render a different response.
"So, in re-living it, but ensuring that we are safe and don't have to escalate to fight, they are effectively re-programming the body's response to it and that is effective,” he said.
Snake Bitten
He handles snakes every day — it’s his job — but in one moment of lapsed focus, he felt the sting he had so cautiously avoided for years. He turned his back for just a moment, and one of the world’s deadliest snakes struck his upper back.
Before pain consumed him, he knew he needed to get medical attention. It was his only chance of survival.
His staff tried to get him to the hospital by car. They ultimately pulled over to the side of the road, where the ambulance met them. EMTs hooked the snake’s victim to an IV, but there was little they could do. Treating the pain only goes so far, what he needed was anti-venom.
They made it to the hospital in time. He lived, according to a story recalled by Joseph Early, the division chief of emergency medical services for Scottsdale.
This victim was fortunate to reach help in time, but in the future, that timing could become less critical.
Researchers at the University of Arizona are developing a new treatment for venomous snake bites that could temporarily inhibit the effects of venom and help victims seek necessary medical treatment imperative for their survival.
Dr. Vance G. Nielsen, professor and vice chair for research in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, is developing the treatment. His research combines a mixture of carbon monoxide and iron that, when injected into a bite victim’s blood, has shown to prevent the effects of snake bites (like blood clotting) for up to an hour in animals, according to the UA College of Medicine.
“We don’t know, it could be even more. That’s just as long as I could test,” Nielsen said about the duration of the treatment’s effects. “It’s not that it wore off and went back to destroying things, that’s just how long it lasted.”
Following animal testing, Nielsen is now focused on testing the treatment on people. Ultimately, the goal is to develop an EpiPen-like device that could be administered at the time of the bite before a victim is able to get access to further medical treatment, according to the UA College of Medicine.
“Bottom line is, we’re going to have to treat bite victims as we go along and then see how they do by the time they get to the hospital. Did you protect them, or not protect them from the snake bite?” Nielsen said.
About 7,000-8,000 people in the United States are bitten by venomous snakes each year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Nielsen’s research could help these victims increase their chances of survival and prevent the likelihood of permanent nerve damage.
Treating snake bites when they occur can sometimes lead to even more troubling situations. Sucking out the venom only works in the movies, and pre-packaged snake bite kits common among campers and hikers have also shown to be ineffective.
“Those (snake bite kits) are absolutely not effective,” said Joe Hymes, who works for the Phoenix Herpetological Society. “In most cases, people can end up hurting themselves more with them.”
Snake bite venom can both prevent blood from clotting (leading to uncontrolled bleeding) or bring about unusually fast clotting — potentially causing heart attacks, strokes and organ damage, according to the UA College of Medicine.
“Snake after snake ... doesn’t matter if it’s an enzyme that destroys or an enzyme that makes you clot faster, just about anything gets inhibited by carbon monoxide,” Nielsen said.
Nielsen’s carbon monoxide and iron therapy would temporarily prevent either reaction, and could change the way first responders and isolated hikers deal with snake bites. To Hymes, it could be revolutionary.
“If something like that was shown to actually be effective in slowing down the progression of the venom, especially rattlesnake venom … it would be huge,” he said.
Early, EMS’ division chief for Scottsdale, is receptive to the idea of the treatment. He said that ultimately, the practicality and price of the device will determine whether it will be stocked in ambulances and hospitals.
Early questions how much the device will cost, as well as how it will need to be stored and applied. Its expiration will factor in as to whether the treatment is used by first responders.
If the treatment gets commercialized and becomes available in an EpiPen-like form, it may transform the way snake bites are treated, but it may not significantly decrease the amount of fatalities from snake bites.
Approximately 8-15 people in the U.S. die from them each year, according to the University of Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, which is only about one in every thousand bites. Oftentimes, those deaths are preventable, which brings into question how many lives Nielsen’s treatment would ultimately be able to save.
“Most of our snake bites here aren’t lethal to begin with as long as you seek medical treatment,” Hymes said. “The few deaths that do happen each year … it’s usually something where they’re really old or really young, or were in a remote place when they got bitten that causes them to die.”
Nielsen contested the notion that his treatment may not result in more lives saved.
“The reality is, even though people don’t die, there are people that even though they get the anti-venom, they end up getting transfused with blood,” Nielsen said. “They do end up with damage in their tissues, they end up in the intensive care unit for a week or two, and then sometimes they get sick again as the venom continues to come from the bite site a week or so later.”
Nielsen acknowledged that a small number of snake bites in the U.S. are fatal, but explained that just because a patient doesn’t die, doesn’t mean that he or she is doing well. Bites can lead to prolonged treatment and blood transfusions that could potentially be avoided with his new treatment method.
Nielsen’s therapy, once finalized and available, will be a major innovation in the first response treatment of snake bite wounds. However, some suggest that preventative information, combined with increased caution and awareness of snakes, can be just as effective.
Once developed, Nielsen’s treatment has the potential to change the way victims, first responders and other medical personnel respond to snake bites. Any significant impact in terms of preventing death remains to be seen, but other medical drawbacks from bites still make this new treatment worth testing.
Using carbon monoxide — which is dangerous and even lethal to humans — to treat venom from snake bites may seem counterintuitive, but that’s not necessarily a new concept for the medical community.
In Arizona (and other places around the country), unique treatment options are helping patients heal.
The irony is not lost on the doctors or those being treated. Instead, they embrace it.
Before pain consumed him, he knew he needed to get medical attention. It was his only chance of survival.
His staff tried to get him to the hospital by car. They ultimately pulled over to the side of the road, where the ambulance met them. EMTs hooked the snake’s victim to an IV, but there was little they could do. Treating the pain only goes so far, what he needed was anti-venom.
They made it to the hospital in time. He lived, according to a story recalled by Joseph Early, the division chief of emergency medical services for Scottsdale.
This victim was fortunate to reach help in time, but in the future, that timing could become less critical.
Researchers at the University of Arizona are developing a new treatment for venomous snake bites that could temporarily inhibit the effects of venom and help victims seek necessary medical treatment imperative for their survival.
Dr. Vance G. Nielsen, professor and vice chair for research in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, is developing the treatment. His research combines a mixture of carbon monoxide and iron that, when injected into a bite victim’s blood, has shown to prevent the effects of snake bites (like blood clotting) for up to an hour in animals, according to the UA College of Medicine.
“We don’t know, it could be even more. That’s just as long as I could test,” Nielsen said about the duration of the treatment’s effects. “It’s not that it wore off and went back to destroying things, that’s just how long it lasted.”
Following animal testing, Nielsen is now focused on testing the treatment on people. Ultimately, the goal is to develop an EpiPen-like device that could be administered at the time of the bite before a victim is able to get access to further medical treatment, according to the UA College of Medicine.
“Bottom line is, we’re going to have to treat bite victims as we go along and then see how they do by the time they get to the hospital. Did you protect them, or not protect them from the snake bite?” Nielsen said.
About 7,000-8,000 people in the United States are bitten by venomous snakes each year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Nielsen’s research could help these victims increase their chances of survival and prevent the likelihood of permanent nerve damage.
Treating snake bites when they occur can sometimes lead to even more troubling situations. Sucking out the venom only works in the movies, and pre-packaged snake bite kits common among campers and hikers have also shown to be ineffective.
“Those (snake bite kits) are absolutely not effective,” said Joe Hymes, who works for the Phoenix Herpetological Society. “In most cases, people can end up hurting themselves more with them.”
Snake bite venom can both prevent blood from clotting (leading to uncontrolled bleeding) or bring about unusually fast clotting — potentially causing heart attacks, strokes and organ damage, according to the UA College of Medicine.
“Snake after snake ... doesn’t matter if it’s an enzyme that destroys or an enzyme that makes you clot faster, just about anything gets inhibited by carbon monoxide,” Nielsen said.
Nielsen’s carbon monoxide and iron therapy would temporarily prevent either reaction, and could change the way first responders and isolated hikers deal with snake bites. To Hymes, it could be revolutionary.
“If something like that was shown to actually be effective in slowing down the progression of the venom, especially rattlesnake venom … it would be huge,” he said.
Early, EMS’ division chief for Scottsdale, is receptive to the idea of the treatment. He said that ultimately, the practicality and price of the device will determine whether it will be stocked in ambulances and hospitals.
Early questions how much the device will cost, as well as how it will need to be stored and applied. Its expiration will factor in as to whether the treatment is used by first responders.
If the treatment gets commercialized and becomes available in an EpiPen-like form, it may transform the way snake bites are treated, but it may not significantly decrease the amount of fatalities from snake bites.
Approximately 8-15 people in the U.S. die from them each year, according to the University of Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, which is only about one in every thousand bites. Oftentimes, those deaths are preventable, which brings into question how many lives Nielsen’s treatment would ultimately be able to save.
“Most of our snake bites here aren’t lethal to begin with as long as you seek medical treatment,” Hymes said. “The few deaths that do happen each year … it’s usually something where they’re really old or really young, or were in a remote place when they got bitten that causes them to die.”
Nielsen contested the notion that his treatment may not result in more lives saved.
“The reality is, even though people don’t die, there are people that even though they get the anti-venom, they end up getting transfused with blood,” Nielsen said. “They do end up with damage in their tissues, they end up in the intensive care unit for a week or two, and then sometimes they get sick again as the venom continues to come from the bite site a week or so later.”
Nielsen acknowledged that a small number of snake bites in the U.S. are fatal, but explained that just because a patient doesn’t die, doesn’t mean that he or she is doing well. Bites can lead to prolonged treatment and blood transfusions that could potentially be avoided with his new treatment method.
Nielsen’s therapy, once finalized and available, will be a major innovation in the first response treatment of snake bite wounds. However, some suggest that preventative information, combined with increased caution and awareness of snakes, can be just as effective.
Once developed, Nielsen’s treatment has the potential to change the way victims, first responders and other medical personnel respond to snake bites. Any significant impact in terms of preventing death remains to be seen, but other medical drawbacks from bites still make this new treatment worth testing.
Using carbon monoxide — which is dangerous and even lethal to humans — to treat venom from snake bites may seem counterintuitive, but that’s not necessarily a new concept for the medical community.
In Arizona (and other places around the country), unique treatment options are helping patients heal.
The irony is not lost on the doctors or those being treated. Instead, they embrace it.