A Dad died after cutting his toe on coral in Florida " Can this realy Happen"???

[J-LUIS]

I just found this on line and it shock me. How can cutting your toe on Coral Kill you? Heres the story below and the lank to the storyhttp://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-sto...5875-21082175/









Dad died after cutting his toe on coral in Florida


A dad died in a freak accident after stubbing his toe on living coral on holiday in Florida.
Keith Clarke, 59, suffered blood poisoning, was flown home, had both legs amputated and died eight weeks later. A shocked coroner told his widow:


"If ever someone could be described as unlucky it would be your husband."
The dad-of-two, from Manchester, a haemophiliac, died of organ failure.
The Manchester coroner, recording accidental death, saying the coral was the likely source of the bug.

[mscottring]

A shocked coroner told his widow: "If ever someone could be described as unlucky it would be your husband."


Wow, he could have handled that a little better.

[Mizer67]

I wouldn't throw away my reef tank just yet. He had underlying medical problems, he was standing in salt water, walked up a beach, probably put on his old dirty shoes, and may not have properly cleaned the injury. The bug could have come from anywhere. He died as a result of an infection, not something specific to the coral. The same thing could have happened from a rusty nail or broken bottle. When it's your time to go, it's your time to go.
And yeah, that guy really needs to work on his slab side manner. Yikes.

[J-LUIS]

Tell me about it. i just wonder what kind of poisoning you can get from a coral?

[J-LUIS]

Originally Posted by Mizer67

I wouldn't throw away my reef tank just yet. He had underlying medical problems, he was standing in salt water, walked up a beach, probably put on his old dirty shoes, and may not have properly cleaned the injury. The bug could have come from anywhere. He died as a result of an infection, not something specific to the coral. The same thing could have happened from a rusty nail or broken bottle. When it's your time to go, it's your time to go.
And yeah, that guy really needs to work on his slab side manner. Yikes.

True...In my last dive I found a rusty oil barrel on the bottom of the ocean floor 35 miles off the Saint Augustine Shore. It made me sick. I reported it and was told they would look in to it but most likely they would not find it.

[Loverotties]

Wow! That's a sad story! Poor family!

[Doug1]

Ouch, that's terrible but as stated if the guy was a hemophiliac that's a tough strike against him, I concur with the dirty sneaker theory, tho he may have contracted a nasty strain of vibrio from his exposure. Hard to say, if the infection was in deed so rampant that it required amputation of both legs there is data not supplied to the press.
The coroners comments may have been muttered around the autopsy table but tell a family member that is less then sensitive

[Jnicho]

I have a friend who cut his hand on a piece of coral in the Bahamas and suffered blood poisoning...his hand and arm swelled like a balloon and doctors told him it would have been much worse had he not received medical attention so soon...they said the blood poisoning was most likely caused by bacteria on the piece of coral and it entered his blood stream at the site of the cut.

[EndlessSummer]

About 6 months ago I bashed my knee down to the bone while surfing (sorry brain coral, i didn't mean it if i hurt you.) I let it ride for a week before going to the doctor, my knee looked like an alien. The doctor prescribed me 3 different antibiotics to take at once. The bacteria in some of the coral can cause insane infections (and pain.) Thats horrible story to read, but I believe it.

[dv3]

good reason to wear gloves in your tank ...especially if you have an open wound

[gouch]

I agree there is a great chance of going into some sort of sepsis and possibly developing distributive shock(septic shock) this would account for the amputations but.......being that he was a hemophiliac those surgeries are lifethreating enough as it is. this a clotting disorder for those that dont know and could cause great surgical complications if he underwent the surgery somewhere other than a specialty center.

horrible story.......i to would CYA and murphy-proof it by wearing gloves.

[aquawolf]

I have experienced an infection from my tank first hand and it is nothing to play around with.

I spent most of the day working in my tank cleaning and rearranging rocks and corals. I did not cut myself while in the tank, but apparently had a hang nail. I did not have any problems at all until I awoke at midnight from severe pain in my finger. I went to the bathroom and the tip of my finger down to the first knuckle was bright red, swollen, and hot to the touch. I sterilized a pair of fingernail clippers, cut out a small chunk of skin and attempted to squeeze out whatever the infection was. I then boiled it with hydrogen peroxide and alcohol, bandaged it and went back to bed.

At 5:00 in the morning I awoke to get ready for work and my hand was still hurting badly. I turned on the light in the bathroom and my index finger and middle finger of my right hand were both swollen, bright red, and very hot to the touch. I took some Ibuprofen, tried to clean it as best I could and went to work. I called the doctor's office when they opened as it was hurting pretty badly and they said to come in at noon. By the time I got there my entire hand was swollen like a catcher's mitt all the way down to about 2 inches above my wrist.

The doctor came in and asked what happened, walked out and got on the phone with the ER docs. He called the pharmacy in the building and told them to get two antibiotics ready right. He also told them to make sure I took one of each in front of them before going to the emergency room to get my finger cut on.

They ended up giving me shots in the finger, lancing it under my nail bed, and draining what they could. They then made the bottom piece of a cast from my forearm to my fingers and wrapped that entire section in gauze and a couple of ace bandages. They put my arm in a sling and put me on Vicodin for the pain. I had to keep the hand elevated above my heart for 3 days, keep it dry, and continue to take the antibiotics until they were gone.

Thankfully it cleared up and I still have all of my fingers.

[gouch]

wow thats intense!!! forget the gloves........im going level A hazmat suit!!!!!!!!!!!!

[J-LUIS]

Originally Posted by gouch

wow thats intense!!! forget the gloves........im going level A hazmat suit!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL

[Doug1]

I don't think you need a Recheal suit(sp) but gloves are a good idea, is with an open wound. ALways wash up before and after and treat any open sores with a triple anti Biotic, be watchful.
Most people never have an issue but with open sores, or other immune compromised issues take no chances and if you do have a reaction, either an obvious infection or hint at anaphlylaxis seek med help quick.
I have posted in the past about keeping a listof every known coral and critter in your tank, esp if you have fish on the venomous list, ie lions, foxface, anything remotely indicated in envenomation potential, taped to the tank or handy in case you have a bad reaction and spouse comes home to find you passed out on the floor. At least it give the parameds and ER docs something to look for