Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

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jdustin
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Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by jdustin »

A news site says that "Bear Grylls's Producer Got A Horrific Snake Bite".
The bites I've seen have always had A LOT more swelling. Do you guys think the picture is really a bite? If so, what kind of snake bite would cause that kind of tissue damage with that low amount of swelling? Or is it perhaps after swelling subsides and dead tissue has been removed... Thoughts?

GORE WARNING
http://deadspin.com/bear-gryllss-produc ... -485966721
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Antonsrkn
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by Antonsrkn »

I don't see any reason not to believe that its the result of a bite. Perhaps this is following a Fasciotomy? Any ideas where they were filming during the bite? That would make it alot easier to put it into perspective and judge the authenticity.
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AndyO'Connor
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by AndyO'Connor »

I would say the lack of swelling is probably because this is after surgeries and cleaning and such, it looks like there was a lot of tissue damage and they removed the dying flesh to prevent the spread of any infections? I would be interested to know where it was, I will guess south america, bothrops bite.
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by hellihooks »

Looks like an unnecessary 3rd world Fasciotomy to me. Sure glad they held off doing that to me, decades ago... it WAS on the table... :roll: jim
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VanAR
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by VanAR »

It definitely could be real if the photo was taken very soon after some sort of tissue debridement/fasciotomy. Any word on where in the world the bite occurred, or the species?
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by WW** »

It certainly looks plausible as a necrotic cobra bite after a through clean-up and debridement of necrotic tissue. It was not a fasciotomy.

I checked Bear Grylls' Twitter feed and apparently they have been filming in Canada for a while,which would seem unlikely.

It has been pointed out in the comments that the wall sockets look Australian, although China and Israel have similar-shaped sockets. If it's real, I am sure all will come out eventually.
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by Daryl Eby »

WW** wrote:If it's real, I am sure all will come out eventually.
Yep. The victim was supposedly a shock television producer. If real, I'd bet money that it is all caught on tape and will become public as soon as they edit it, hype it, and find a buyer.
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VanAR
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by VanAR »

It has been pointed out in the comments that the wall sockets look Australian, although China and Israel have similar-shaped sockets. If it's real, I am sure all will come out eventually.
I disagree- the sockets don't have built-in power switches, which seem to be ubiquitous in Australia (perhaps not in hospitals?). Also, nearly all of the sockets I've seen here are mounted side by side, rather than vertically.
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by WW** »

Mystery solved - apparently it was a Bothrops asper in Costa Rica (although I am not sure how that works with the sockets....) - see https://twitter.com/steve_rankin
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by -EJ »

If it is... I can't see any reason how that foot can be saved.
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by Antonsrkn »

A 2nd photo for your viewing pleasure... Warning it's pretty gruesome, his foot has seen much better days. It says on his twitter that it took him about 2 hours to get to a hospital after the bite, I wonder how much better it would have been with faster treatment or how much worse if there had been an extra hour or two...
https://twitter.com/steve_rankin/status ... 55/photo/1
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by WW** »

-EJ wrote:If it is... I can't see any reason how that foot can be saved.

That foot is totally salvageable. The tendons are the white bits you see and they look intact. There has been extensive loss of skin and subcutaneous tissue, but there are no significant muscles there anyway, and all the flesh that is visible now is pink and healthy-looking. Barring major infections, he will keep his foot, and I would suspect with relatively minor residual defects other than some spectacular scars.
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-EJ
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by -EJ »

Totally disagree. What you see as pink should be red. It's my opinion and I hope I'm wrong.
WW** wrote:
-EJ wrote:If it is... I can't see any reason how that foot can be saved.

That foot is totally salvageable. The tendons are the white bits you see and they look intact. There has been extensive loss of skin and subcutaneous tissue, but there are no significant muscles there anyway, and all the flesh that is visible now is pink and healthy-looking. Barring major infections, he will keep his foot, and I would suspect with relatively minor residual defects other than some spectacular scars.
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by WW** »

-EJ wrote:Totally disagree. What you see as pink should be red. It's my opinion and I hope I'm wrong.
AFAIK neither of us is a medic, but I have certainly seen plenty of seriously gruesome photos like this one where the patient recovered with pretty much full use of the limb. I sure hope so for the guy - much as I detest Bear Grylls, his programme and those who work with him, nobody deserves this.
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by jdustin »

He seems concerned about losing the foot as well. He mentioned on twitter that his foot was "trying to decide if it wants to pursue a solo career".
I shot the pic to my brother (a foot surgeon who's done many amputations), cause I'm curious what his take will be.
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-EJ
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by -EJ »

I wish him the best.
jdustin wrote:He seems concerned about losing the foot as well. He mentioned on twitter that his foot was "trying to decide if it wants to pursue a solo career".
I shot the pic to my brother (a foot surgeon who's done many amputations), cause I'm curious what his take will be.
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by jimoo742 »

Eh, just rub some dirt on it.
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-EJ
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by -EJ »

You know... I heard that works... I saw it in a Gunsmoke
episode.
jimoo742 wrote:Eh, just rub some dirt on it.
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by hellihooks »

I'd say walk it off, but... :roll: seriously... I've had like 5 or 6 skin grafts, for my snakebites... and that big one on his foot looks pretty healthy... one more for the open spot, and he should be good.
Full depth skin grafts are no fun... where they take it from (in this case, probably inner thigh) hurts worse, and actually takes longer to heal, than where they put it.
What really sucks (for me) is one of the grafts they put across my palm, came from very up high on my inner thigh, and I occasionally have to pluck big black'n'curlys off my palm. Mamma told me that would happen... but for another reason... :crazyeyes:
always heard Fer de Lance bites were bad...but WOW. wishing this guy a speedy/full recovery... :thumb: jim
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by John Martin »

Wow, that is a really, seriously gruesome wound. I too wish the poor fellow all the best in regaining good use of his foot. And Jim, aka hellihooks, YOU owe me a new keyboard - you know why, it does have to do with beer coming out of nasal passages... :D
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jason folt
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Re: Does this bite look real? "Bear Grylls's Producer"

Post by jason folt »

I love how herpers suddenly become physicians when snakebites are involved...

The first picture does not show a fasciotomy, as WW correctly stated. There is an incision proximal to the open wound that has been closed, but even it doesn't look like a traditional fasciotomy. The open wound is after debridement of what was probably dead and unsalvagable tissue, and looks rather "healthy". The picture after the graft also looks pretty good too. His foot will never be the same, but the pictures make it seem like he is doing pretty well, all things considered.

More interesting to me is the defect is very close to the region where the dorsalis pedis artery should run. It looks like it was spared, it should run a bit more medially to the wound, but that would have meant a far more disastrous injury.

I also wish him a speedy and uneventful recovery.

Jason
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