SNAKEBYTE EMERGENCY FIRST-AID INFORMATION

WHAT TO DO IF BITTEN BY A VENOMOUS SNAKE

What Not to Do if Bitten by a Venomous Snake

WHAT TO TELL THEM AT THE HOSPITAL

WHAT SHOULD MY SNAKEBITE-KIT CONTAIN?

You can make up your own snakebite kit easily and relatively inexpensively. In addition to a ammunition or similar pouch such as available in any army-navy or surplus store to contain the stuff, you should have the following items: At least one roll each of 2" and 3" ACE or comparable elastic bandaging with clips. Several sterile 4 x 4 surgical gauze pads; a small bottle of betadine solution. One roll each of 1/2" and 1" surgical adhesive tape. (Do not use paper or clear plastic tape). Sawyer Extractors, if you want to include them, are available in most camping gear, hunting/fishing or outdoors shops. If you cant find this device it is available from this website for $15 or two for $25 with profits used to help maintain the various educational website operations. Be Prepared. Whether you are out in the field where venomous snakes occur or you keep them as a hobby or work with them in your job, these essential items, the ability to apply them rapidly without panic or confusion, can buy you precious time and help save your life if the unthinkable occurs. Never travel alone and never work with venomous species alone.

WEBSITES OF RELATED INTEREST

Herpmed's Homepage
Australia/PNG Snakebite Page
Herp Medical Page -- Go here for links to venomous snake and other snakebite website links.
Sawyer Extractor Website

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION:

This website advocates the use of containment of injected venom at or near the bite site using broad (2"-3"-4") compression bandaging such as ACE(tm) elastic bandage. This is the standard worldwide accepted first-aid treatment of bites by elapid snakes such as cobras, coral snakes and many Australian species. This method has delayed on the onset of serious snakebite symptoms as long as 24 hours in Australia where victims of deadly bites were that far from medical assistance.

However, the use of containment for certain types of North American pit viper (rattlesnake, moccasin and copperhead) bite is felt by some to increase the risk of disfiguring local tissue injury, which, while not necessarily life- threatening by itself may necessitate skin grafts and extensive repair and treatment once the acute, life -threatening phase of the event has passed. We feel that the spread of venom to vital organs can be life-threatening and that you have no way of knowing how life-threatening a snakebite is in the first moments of the event. Therefore, users of this method must recognize that there is a trade-off: containment as a life-saving measure at the risk of local tissue or even kidney damage which while not necessarily life-threatening, could be disfiguring, painful and/or which could require prolonged and extensive follow-up treatment. We therefore urge readers who decide to use this method on ANY type of snakebite as a life or death decision but to make that decision in recognition of the above information. Compression bandages are standard in Australia but these are most elapid bites although some have some local tissue or muscle effect as well. Cobras, for example, have direct acting cardiotoxins so containment is important in bites by these snakes. Significant bites directly into blood vessels are invariably fatal as the ability to contain venom is impossible under such circumstances. Most bites are into the subcutaneous lymphatic circulation, the flow of which is impeded or halted, by the methods advocated.Many N.A. pit viper bites are myotoxic. Significant injection of venom may reach one of the body's most important muscles - the heart. For this reason and this reason alone we would rather risk local muscle and tissue damage, possible kidney damage from myoglobin spillage into the urine, then risk direct cardiac effects. Its up to you.
This website is for informational purposes and no liability is assumed in its use. Always consult with a competent medical professional regarding health related issues.