A California family was left in shock after receiving a medical bill of nearly $300,000 following a rattlesnake bite on their 2-year-old son’s right hand. The toddler required almost three dozen vials of antivenom to survive the venomous attack. The antivenom alone accounted for $213,278 of the total $297,461 bill, which also covered two ambulance rides, an emergency room visit, and several days in pediatric intensive care.
The toddler’s mother, Lindsay Pfeffer, was terrified for her son’s life. “We all thought he was going to die,” she said. The incident occurred when the boy, Brigland, was playing in their San Diego backyard and was bitten by a Southern Pacific Rattlesnake. The bite was located between his thumb and index finger.
As the venom rapidly spread through Brigland’s small body, Pfeffer dialed 911 and anxiously awaited an ambulance to transport them to the nearest medical facility equipped with antivenom, Palomar Medical Center Escondido, located 25 minutes away. “He was laying down on the sidewalk out front; just flat and sweating and he wasn’t moving,” Pfeffer recalled.
The venom caused severe swelling and bruising from the toddler’s fingers to his shoulder. The emergency room team had to resort to using a handheld drill to inject the antidote into the boy’s bone marrow when they couldn’t administer the medicine through an IV.
Once stabilized, Brigland was transferred to Ray Children’s Hospital, an hour away, where he remained in intensive care for several days until he recovered. During his treatment, the boy received 30 vials of Anavip antivenom across the two hospitals, each charging a significant amount for the life-saving medicine.
The first hospital administered 10 vials of Anavip, charging $9,574 per vial, totaling $95,574. The second hospital, one of the largest children’s hospitals on the West Coast, charged $5,875 for each of the 20 vials administered, totaling $117,532.
The family’s health insurance plan covered a portion of the costs, leaving them with a $7,200 bill for the hospital visits. However, they now owe an additional $11,300 for one of the ambulance rides.
Despite the expensive treatment, Brigland’s hand has since healed, though nerve damage and scar tissue have left his right thumb much weaker. The family has since installed snake fencing around their yard to prevent future incidents. “He’s very, very lucky,” Pfeffer said.