A graphic video from Sydney's RPA Hospital shows doctors treating a man who suffered a severe spider bite after leaving the wound untreated. The man was bitten while gardening but did not seek medical attention immediately.
The wound swelled over several days and eventually burst open while he was at work. Upon admission to hospital, doctors diagnosed a bite from a white-tailed spider, which can cause necrotising arachnidism—a condition that destroys flesh.
In the video, medics use tweezers to remove dressing from the deep wound, leaving a one-inch hole in the man's leg. He required emergency surgery and faces a two-week hospital stay, including spending his birthday there.
The man posted on social media that he had chosen to clean the garden instead of the bathroom, which his housemate had cleaned. He urged others to seek prompt treatment for spider bites.
