Parma Hospital's Magazine for Healthy Living and Education

Bee sting triggers severe medical crisis
Even on a picture-perfect
summer day, danger may lurk in
unseen places.
Ed Glowski of North Royalton
was getting ready for an
afternoon in his backyard swimming
pool last July when he was
stung by a paper wasp. He shook
off the pain and headed for the
pool, but within minutes wasn’t
feeling well.
Fortunately, this father of
four teenagers mentioned the
startling incident to his wife before
going inside their home and
collapsing in the kitchen.
“We almost lost him,” says
Pam Glowski, who remembers
every detail of what began as an
ideal summer day for relaxing
outside. “He went to his knees
and started shaking. He was
turning purple and his pupils
went to pinpoints. His throat,
with the anaphylaxis, had started
closing up immediately.
“If we didn’t have Parma
Hospital nearby, we may not
have been able to get him
the care he needed in time.”
Less than 1 percent of people
stung each year in the United
States have a severe reaction
like Glowski. While Glowski
had previously experienced bee
stings, none had ever sparked
such a severe medical crisis.
“The initial insult, through
bee venom, creates a cascade of
reactions throughout the body,
which basically start to shut
the body down,” said Gregory
Hickey, DO, the medical director
of ICU Services and a pulmonologist
who saw Glowski.
“You lose the ability to maintain
blood pressure and normal homeostasis,
and experience acute
bronchospasms (tightening of
muscles of the airways) and
swelling in the extremities.”
An ambulance brought
Glowski to Parma Hospital’s
Emergency Department.
He was intubated and admitted
to the Intensive Care Unit,
where his family was continually
After a severe sting sent him into anaphylactic shock,
Ed Glowski goes weekly for treatments with Todd
Rambasek, MD to build up his immunity to bee venom.
impressed by unflinching and
unfailing efforts to keep Glowski
stable.
The family was particularly
grateful for the clinical expertise
and honest communication
from staff nurses and the team
of specialists. For ICU patients,
taking care of the family is a major
aspect of caring for critically
ill patients.
“It’s essential for the staff
to be communicating with one
another in caring for critically
ill patients and keeping family
members apprised of plans and
progress,” Dr. Hickey said. “They
can share in day-to-day changes
and be prepared for the days to
come.”
Nephrologist
Ronald Flauto,
DO, called in
Todd Rambasek,
MD, an allergistimmunologist,
whom Glowski
still sees for weekly treatments.
The doctor administers a very
small dose of the same venom
that set off alarms in Glowski’s
body last summer. At the first
visit, the patient receives a shot
with one-millionth of the target
dose. The doctor doubles the
dose each week until he reaches
the equivalent of two bee stings.
“If you have a severe reaction
to a bee sting and you have a
positive skin or blood test for bee
allergy, then you need bee sting
immunotherapy,” Dr. Rambasek
said. “The treatment is ongoing if
your reaction to the bee sting was
see Sting page 6
Third express clinic opening in Parma Heights
Convenient walk-in
care is now closer than
ever to Parma Hospital.
Community Express
Care, which has brought
efficient health care to
walk-in clinics in Discount
Drug Mart stores
in both Independence
and Olmsted Falls, is
opening a new location
in the Drug Mart on York
Road in Parma Heights.
“Patients are excited
that they won’t have to
travel far
from their
community
and Parma
Hospital for courteous
and efficient care,” said
Melissa Nemeth, one of
the certified nurse practitioners
who staff the
clinics. Patients can visit
Community Express Care
when their condition
requires the attention of a
health care provider, but
not necessarily an Emergency
Room visit.
The certified nurse
practitioners provide
diagnosis and treatment
of a wide range of
non-emergent medical
conditions for patients
ages 2 and up. These
include strep throat,
ear and sinus infections
and pink eye. They
also perform sports
and camp exams,
remove sutures/staples,
provide blood pressure
checks and administer
immunizations such as
tetanus and pneumonia.
Patients can have
prescriptions filled at
the on-site pharmacy,
including physician
orders for the shingles
vaccine, which the
nurse practitioners can
administer. The clinic is
in-network with most
major insurance plans
or patients without
insurance can pay at the
time of service.
Parma Hospital
opened its first Express
Care clinic in Olmsted
Falls in July 2008 and a
second clinic in Independence
in October 2009.
All Community
Express Care locations
are open daily. Hours
are Monday-Friday from
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and
Saturday-Sunday from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. Please call
440-743-CARE if you
have any questions.
Summer 2011 Informed 3