Snakebite First Aid

W

will62

Joined
Oct 18, 2002
Messages
372
What is the accepted method for treating snakebite both if help is nearby and if not? Are the suction kits worth the money? I have heard that more problems result from using them than just the issue of being bitten.

Here in Okinawa we have a really nasty snake called the Habu. At the Habu exhibit near where I am one of the displays still promotes the use of the "cut and suck" method. I thought that this was only used as a last ditch method.
 
Perhaps it depends on the kind of snake venom, but here in rattlesnake country, I'm pretty sure the "cut & suck" treatment was thrown out a long time ago. Maybe they just never bothered to update?
 
Correct, the "cut & suck" has lost favor among most outdoors experts. The method that seems to have current validity is the Sawyer poison extractor, as seen on this webpage. I've seen the Sawyer unit at Walmart in the hunting/camping section for about $15, which seems to be the going price.

(edited to add) Here's a good posting on what to do and not do when snakebit: http://pub135.ezboard.com/fnorthstarpreparednessnetworkfrm15.showMessage?topicID=50.topic

Basically the same info & a bit of extra comment: http://www.troop5psc.com/FirstAid/snbite.html

And some snakebite info from Merck: http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual/section23/chapter308/308a.htm
 
I read a really good article in I think OutDoor Life mag. about this. The treatment was to run DC current through the bite area. One guy even used a sparkplug wire with his Jeep running. He was bitten on the forearm.He placed his arm on part of the Jeep under the hood and placed the plug wire so the current would run straight through the bite and come out the other side of his arm.Something about the dc current destroys the venom. I understand some medical professionals are using this for bites and stings. The article was in an older issue. If/when I run across the mag. I will post it here.
 
The "cut" part of cut-and-suck is considered passe. There are even some people who will tell you to not bother attempting to suction the poison out. They only ever say, "Keep the victim calm. Make them lay down. Seek treatment immediately."

This is fine advice, if you are near your vehicle. But what should we do if we are 5 hours or even 3 days away from the car?!

Suck, for sure, maybe even cut. And even reassure yourself with phoney, oft-quoted statistics such as, "Half of all rattlesnake bites are not even poisonous."

What would I do? Take the advice in paragraph #3, cause that's my typical situation.

If you are sufficiently aware, you will neglect to tread on dangerous animals, obviating the need for all this snake-bite advice.

Cheers

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Do a google search
 
Will, A snakebite kit is on the market for birdhunters with dogs hunting snake country. From what I remember reading, the kit includes a syrnge of antivenom for rattlesnake bitten dogs. In the article they were hunting in Florida, I beleive, and recommended the kit for all hunters with dogs. I would think a kit would be available for humans, also.
 
Unfortunately I have no answers, and I am not finding any either. I don't know if I would have too much faith in those suction kits, and that direct current method sounds very interesting, I have never heard that before. Too bad chances are you won't be bitten next to your car. What about when you are backpacking? This is the situation I would worry about. This is definitely info I should know by now. Has anybody here ever been bitten by a venomous snake? If so, what did you do?:confused:
 
This may be outdated information as it is several years old. This is what I was taught during my EMT training. Snake fangs a curved so they don't go in deep at bite holes. They deposit the poison about an inch from the wound kind of shallow under the skin. Cutting over the bite marks does no good as the poison is not there. If you do cut, make sure you cut in the right area. More damage is done cutting and not knowing what you are doing than from the bite its self.

Best is to ice down the area and get to a doctor. Ice slows down the posion asorbsion rate. If no ice, use a constriction band. This constricts the blood near the surface slowing the poison, while not cutting off deep major blood flow like a tourniquet. Again people do more damage with a tourniguet than the bite does.
 
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