Posted: 5/31/2011 4:55:50 PM EDT
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What is first aid for a Snake bite? Heard many answers and wanted to see what yall think.
Snakes: a. non ven b. Cottonmouth c. Rattlesnake Thanks |
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Latest advice: Go to hospital and be monitored.
Old but not wrong: Use an extractor (newer research says of minimal benefit) Old: cut and suck: rarely was cutting done safely Old and wrong or urban legand: Bring snake w/you (they now use polyvalent antivenom- not matter how many electrons the snake has, the antivenom will work (as long as it is a north american pit viper.) Apply cold pack (for hemotoxic, N American snakes, it increases local damage (death is a very unlikey outcome.) Apply constricting ace bandage/TQ See above, this may still be valid for neurotoxic snakes. Electroshock never proven with N American Pit Vipers Give antivemom ASAP (Antivenom has a high risk of a potentially lethal adverse reaction, thus is never given unless serious effects of the bite develop) |
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I would like to know also, My boys just killed a copperhead today. Ages 8 & 6. It took a hoe, a bat, a hatchet, and an ax.  When my wife was doing her clinical rotations, someone showed up with half a lizzard, claiming their child had been bit by a baby cottonmouth. Local gangbanger killed "snake" with a nine. Foot still attached to snake. Mom about to loose it. Residents and male students rolled eyes, nurses and female students though it was a perfectly reasonable reaction. Child got IV of normal saline to make mom happy. Mom also got nice chair and blood pressure check. |
| snake bite kits are USELESS and cause more damage than the snake bite itself. cutting and sucking is the same thing, USELESS. treatment is keep bite site below the heart, keep pt calm and do NOT get them excited or make them work any harder than needed. get to an ER or ambulance service as fast as possible. nothing you do in the field will help and more often then not can make the situation worse. |
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Latest advice: Go to hospital and be monitored. Old but not wrong: Use an extractor (newer research says of minimal benefit) Old: cut and suck: rarely was cutting done safely Old and wrong or urban legand: Bring snake w/you (they now use polyvalent antivenom- not matter how many electrons the snake has, the antivenom will work (as long as it is a north american pit viper.) Apply cold pack (for hemotoxic, N American snakes, it increases local damage (death is a very unlikey outcome.) Apply constricting ace bandage/TQ See above, this may still be valid for neurotoxic snakes. Electroshock never proven with N American Pit Vipers Give antivemom ASAP (Antivenom has a high risk of a potentially lethal adverse reaction, thus is never given unless serious effects of the bite develop) Re the polyvalvent antivenom. It's my understanding it's not very effective on Mojave Green bites. Any word on that? |
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Latest advice: Go to hospital and be monitored. Old but not wrong: Use an extractor (newer research says of minimal benefit) Old: cut and suck: rarely was cutting done safely Old and wrong or urban legand: Bring snake w/you (they now use polyvalent antivenom- not matter how many electrons the snake has, the antivenom will work (as long as it is a north american pit viper.) Apply cold pack (for hemotoxic, N American snakes, it increases local damage (death is a very unlikey outcome.) Apply constricting ace bandage/TQ See above, this may still be valid for neurotoxic snakes. Electroshock never proven with N American Pit Vipers Give antivemom ASAP (Antivenom has a high risk of a potentially lethal adverse reaction, thus is never given unless serious effects of the bite develop) Re the polyvalvent antivenom. It's my understanding it's not very effective on Mojave Green bites. Any word on that? Phoned a firend. if your Mojave Green is also known as Crotalus scutulatus (as google says) then it is included in the CroFab antivenom per the package insert. Included means the sheep was injected with this venom. This is not true for the Weyth product more commonly used here. Thats probally about as good as you can get, unless you state makes their own antivenom, as AZ has in the past. Maybe the venom is stronger or injected in larger doses. |
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What is first aid for a Snake bite? Heard many answers and wanted to see what yall think. Snakes: a. non ven clean well with something like alcohol or hydrogen peroxide etc.. Keep an eye on the bite to see if it get infected b. Cottonmouth & c. Rattlesnake: -Stay calm, keep bit area even with heart, get to medical help ASAP -Remove jewelry or constricting clothing from the victim quickly, before any swelling begins -Lift the bitten limb so that it is level with the heart. Raising it above heart level could hasten distribution of the venom to other parts of the body. Holding the limb below heart level could lead to increased swelling of the affected limb. -Limit movement of the bitten limb and avoid any unnecessary exertion by bringing transport to the victim, if possible. -Gently wash the bite wound with soap and water, if available. Do not make cuts over the snake bite. This often leads to more tissue trauma and damage. Do not apply a tourniquet or other constricting device. Do not apply a cold pack or ice to the snake bite. Do not apply an electrical shock to the snake bite. |
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What is first aid for a Snake bite? Heard many answers and wanted to see what yall think. Snakes: a. non ven clean well with something like alcohol or hydrogen peroxide etc.. Keep an eye on the bite to see if it get infected b. Cottonmouth & c. Rattlesnake: -Stay calm, keep bit area even with heart, get to medical help ASAP -Remove jewelry or constricting clothing from the victim quickly, before any swelling begins -Lift the bitten limb so that it is level with the heart. Raising it above heart level could hasten distribution of the venom to other parts of the body. Holding the limb below heart level could lead to increased swelling of the affected limb. -Limit movement of the bitten limb and avoid any unnecessary exertion by bringing transport to the victim, if possible. -Gently wash the bite wound with soap and water, if available. Do not make cuts over the snake bite. This often leads to more tissue trauma and damage. Do not apply a tourniquet or other constricting device. Do not apply a cold pack or ice to the snake bite. Do not apply an electrical shock to the snake bite. All the advice is saying to get to medical help fast. What if this is not possible. What If you are far from medical help, or if medical help is not available? What is the difference we should expect in a child being bitten compared to an adult if there is no treatment available? |
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Then you take you chances, and they are pretty good. Without antivenom, all you can offer is supportive care. Epi and Benedryl would be somewhat worthwhile to have on hand in case of a reaction tot he venom. It's a puncture wound so you want a Tetnus shot in the past5-10 years.
The good news is adult snakes can control their venom and are not likely to waste a large dose on a small child. In that sense, young snakes can be more dangerous because they wouldn't have this skill. If post SHTF, my young child got bit, and we had access to antibiotics, I would consider having my wife cut and suck. That would likely be a bad choice when medical care is available. OTOH, if you don't pick them up, and don't step on them, and watch where you reach/walk, your odds around here are pretty slim. Wear boots and jeans or chaps during high risk activities (ie harvesting corn, picking blackberries) I grew up farming and hunting. I've crused timber and done utility construction. I've torn out/blasted hundreds of beaver dams and seen hundreds of poisionious snakes. Even now, I work outside 20-30% of the time,, mostly in remote areas. I've never been bit or struck at. Other then cottonmouths, I've seen every snake ignore me, or try to get away. I know one person who got bit by a rattle snake while minding his own business. I don't know anyone who needed antivenom. |
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Good reference from a group that knows about it. If you have to have a special team with a fire department for venom response you deal with it a lot.
Miami Dade Fire Resuce Venom Response Team |
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Latest advice: Go to hospital and be monitored. Old but not wrong: Use an extractor (newer research says of minimal benefit) Old: cut and suck: rarely was cutting done safely Old and wrong or urban legand: Bring snake w/you (they now use polyvalent antivenom- not matter how many electrons the snake has, the antivenom will work (as long as it is a north american pit viper.) Apply cold pack (for hemotoxic, N American snakes, it increases local damage (death is a very unlikey outcome.) Apply constricting ace bandage/TQ See above, this may still be valid for neurotoxic snakes. Electroshock never proven with N American Pit Vipers Give antivemom ASAP (Antivenom has a high risk of a potentially lethal adverse reaction, thus is never given unless serious effects of the bite develop) Re the polyvalvent antivenom. It's my understanding it's not very effective on Mojave Green bites. Any word on that? Phoned a firend. if your Mojave Green is also known as Crotalus scutulatus (as google says) then it is included in the CroFab antivenom per the package insert. Included means the sheep was injected with this venom. This is not true for the Weyth product more commonly used here. Thats probally about as good as you can get, unless you state makes their own antivenom, as AZ has in the past. Maybe the venom is stronger or injected in larger doses. I would think monovalent anti venom, specific to the snake variety, would be more effective and less likely to have severe side effects? This would require positive snake ID and stocking antivenom for the most prevalent snakes in the area. |
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No use in these?
Sawyer Extractor Pump Kit http://www.rei.com/product/407144/sawyer-extractor-pump-kit |
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What is first aid for a Snake bite? Heard many answers and wanted to see what yall think. Snakes: a. non ven clean well with something like alcohol or hydrogen peroxide etc.. Keep an eye on the bite to see if it get infected b. Cottonmouth & c. Rattlesnake: -Stay calm, keep bit area even with heart, get to medical help ASAP -Remove jewelry or constricting clothing from the victim quickly, before any swelling begins -Lift the bitten limb so that it is level with the heart. Raising it above heart level could hasten distribution of the venom to other parts of the body. Holding the limb below heart level could lead to increased swelling of the affected limb. -Limit movement of the bitten limb and avoid any unnecessary exertion by bringing transport to the victim, if possible. -Gently wash the bite wound with soap and water, if available. Do not make cuts over the snake bite. This often leads to more tissue trauma and damage. Do not apply a tourniquet or other constricting device. Do not apply a cold pack or ice to the snake bite. Do not apply an electrical shock to the snake bite. bite site should stay below the heart in most cases. swelling is not going change that much. the key is to limit the spread of the venom ONLY by gravity and the pressure of the blood flow. |
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What is first aid for a Snake bite? Heard many answers and wanted to see what yall think. Snakes: a. non ven clean well with something like alcohol or hydrogen peroxide etc.. Keep an eye on the bite to see if it get infected b. Cottonmouth & c. Rattlesnake: -Stay calm, keep bit area even with heart, get to medical help ASAP -Remove jewelry or constricting clothing from the victim quickly, before any swelling begins -Lift the bitten limb so that it is level with the heart. Raising it above heart level could hasten distribution of the venom to other parts of the body. Holding the limb below heart level could lead to increased swelling of the affected limb. -Limit movement of the bitten limb and avoid any unnecessary exertion by bringing transport to the victim, if possible. -Gently wash the bite wound with soap and water, if available. Do not make cuts over the snake bite. This often leads to more tissue trauma and damage. Do not apply a tourniquet or other constricting device. Do not apply a cold pack or ice to the snake bite. Do not apply an electrical shock to the snake bite. All the advice is saying to get to medical help fast. What if this is not possible. What If you are far from medical help, or if medical help is not available? What is the difference we should expect in a child being bitten compared to an adult if there is no treatment available? if one is bitten by a poisonous snake and med treatment isnt available then you must do everything you can to keep the pt calm and still. other than that you can try diphenhydramine to limit any chance of an allergic reaction but other than that, if you believe in god you better start praying cause its going to be a LOOOOOONG day and night. |
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No use in these? Sawyer Extractor Pump Kit http://www.rei.com/product/407144/sawyer-extractor-pump-kit waste of money and can and will cause more damage than help. |
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Any truth to the adage that the degree of burning or pain in/around the bite wound is proportional to the amount of venom the snake injected? Hell no. Pain is subjective, your 10/10 pain is my 3/10 pain. Of course the amt of venom injected is the same in both patients. Besides anti-venom is based on total wt. not amount injected. Just FYI Crofab is extremely expensive. |
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Any truth to the adage that the degree of burning or pain in/around the bite wound is proportional to the amount of venom the snake injected? Hell no. Pain is subjective, your 10/10 pain is my 3/10 pain. Of course the amt of venom injected is the same in both patients. Besides anti-venom is based on total wt. not amount injected. Just FYI Crofab is extremely expensive. Actually it's given based on the patient's reaction, so it is based somewhat on amount injected. They may be a bit more liberal with Crofab, since it's not equine based. I'd bet there is some truth to the statemen, at least for our hemotoxic snakes. People who don't get envenomated or mild envenomation don't feel a whole lot of pain. 1 friend, and one pt we transported thought they were bit by yellow jackets. The first guy had been envenomated lightly (based his symptoms), the second guy not at all. It probally also depends on where the strike was (both local tissue, as well as perfusion of the tissue.) Quoted:
if one is bitten by a poisonous snake and med treatment isnt available then you must do everything you can to keep the pt calm and still. other than that you can try diphenhydramine to limit any chance of an allergic reaction but other than that, if you believe in god you better start praying cause its going to be a LOOOOOONG day and night. Since most people bitten in the US receive no medical treatment, in many cases, you would have been more comfortable staying home. A friend who was bitten said the smartest thing he did was take a shower before going to the hospital, since they kept him overnight in the ER for observation due to his age. This is not to say you should stay home, most people need a tetanus booster, and if there is anaphylaxis you want to be near a hospital. Other then that it's a waiting game to see if symptoms develop, and then to see if they warrent antivenom. I only know of one snake bite fatality in Alabama in the past 10 years, and it was from two bites, reportedly from a copperhead. (Fatilities are normally from diamondback rattle snakes, but copperheads are responsible for far more bites.) |