What to do after snake bite?

[IA Born]

From the Arizona poison and drug information center

 

First Aid

In many cases, first aid performed in the field by the patient or companions only causes additional injury. The best first aid kit for snakebite includes your car keys and cell phone. Get help quickly if you are bitten

 

If you are bitten,

Don't use ice or electricity.

Don't use constricting bands or suction. Using "extractors" does not remove a significant amount of venom and the process can increase tissue damage.

Don't give alcohol or medication.

Don't wait to see if you get symptoms.

Don't try to catch the snake.

The snake may bite again.

Capture will delay your getting to the hospital.

Treatment will be the same no matter which kind of rattlesnake bit you.

Do relax and move as little as possible.

Do remove tight clothing, shoes or jewelry from the bitten limb.

DO GO to the nearest medical facility immediately.

 

This right here is the best advice. My graduate research was rattlesnake venom, particularly Mojave toxin from Mojave rattlesnakes. There can be over 40 different proteins in one venom and they can be both anticoagulants and coagulants. There are proteins that cleave off the antigen binding sites, which makes antivenom or any other antibody formation useless. Modern antivenom is a mixed bag now that its made from goat serum instead of horse serum. Its supposed to be more antigen-specific, which makes them more efficient, but the proteins are smaller, so they pass through your body unattached faster, which causes you to require more of the stuff, which drives your hospital bill up. You get the picture. I've seen the after pics of a guy who placed his hand in ice water and all that was left by the time he got to the hospital were nubs. I've seen the data for the tests using Sawyer Extractors and lesser "venom removal kits" and I've been advocating for 15 years that they are worthless. I used to keep one more to keep my wife happy, even though I knew it was useless.

 

Yes, the best thing you can do is to remain calm and keep your blood pressure down. If its an appendage and you can keep it elevated, that's the best. Its when those proteins mentioned above hit your liver, kidney, or heart that all heck breaks loose internally. I have binders and binders full of venom research articles if anyone wants to see any. I also have a picture from a scanning electron microscope (2000x) showing a protein peeling off the tissue layer that keeps your muscle fibers all in one bundle. Total loss of muscle control....

[cjl2010]

Well now I never wanna walk in the woods again. Thanks a lot

[Jazz]

Mojave's are vicious too. I've heard they're the worst of the bunch.

[metau]

I've known several snake bite victims. Getting to anti-venom as quickly as possible is what you should do. Preferably without the venom reaching your central organs. Best bet is to avoid the bite in the first place, hence snake gaiters or chaps. If you hunt or hike into areas where its would take several hours to get to a hospital, or would need to exert tons of energy to get out of, then you need some sort of PLB. Not trying to sound like a worried parent, but y'all are grown adults and know dang well what can go wrong in the backcountry. What's your life worth, be it to you or your family?

 

On the cost side, most jurisdictions do not charge for SAR operations, though some do. Some PLB's offer SAR insurance at an additional cost, or you can buy your own.

[el diablo]

From the Arizona poison and drug information center

 

First Aid

In many cases, first aid performed in the field by the patient or companions only causes additional injury. The best first aid kit for snakebite includes your car keys and cell phone. Get help quickly if you are bitten

 

If you are bitten,

Don't use ice or electricity.

Don't use constricting bands or suction. Using "extractors" does not remove a significant amount of venom and the process can increase tissue damage.

Don't give alcohol or medication.

Don't wait to see if you get symptoms.

Don't try to catch the snake.

The snake may bite again.

Capture will delay your getting to the hospital.

Treatment will be the same no matter which kind of rattlesnake bit you.

Do relax and move as little as possible.

Do remove tight clothing, shoes or jewelry from the bitten limb.

DO GO to the nearest medical facility immediately.

Don't give alcohol??? They don't know me!

[Snapshot]

[trphyhntr]

One-Bite-From-This-Snake-Can-KIll-500-Men-Funny-Snake-Meme.jpeg

i read he was tripping on mushrooms when he died

[CatfishKev]

 

From the Arizona poison and drug information center

 

First Aid

In many cases, first aid performed in the field by the patient or companions only causes additional injury. The best first aid kit for snakebite includes your car keys and cell phone. Get help quickly if you are bitten

 

If you are bitten,

Don't use ice or electricity.

Don't use constricting bands or suction. Using "extractors" does not remove a significant amount of venom and the process can increase tissue damage.

Don't give alcohol or medication.

Don't wait to see if you get symptoms.

Don't try to catch the snake.

The snake may bite again.

Capture will delay your getting to the hospital.

Treatment will be the same no matter which kind of rattlesnake bit you.

Do relax and move as little as possible.

Do remove tight clothing, shoes or jewelry from the bitten limb.

DO GO to the nearest medical facility immediately.

 

This right here is the best advice. My graduate research was rattlesnake venom, particularly Mojave toxin from Mojave rattlesnakes. There can be over 40 different proteins in one venom and they can be both anticoagulants and coagulants. There are proteins that cleave off the antigen binding sites, which makes antivenom or any other antibody formation useless. Modern antivenom is a mixed bag now that its made from goat serum instead of horse serum. Its supposed to be more antigen-specific, which makes them more efficient, but the proteins are smaller, so they pass through your body unattached faster, which causes you to require more of the stuff, which drives your hospital bill up. You get the picture. I've seen the after pics of a guy who placed his hand in ice water and all that was left by the time he got to the hospital were nubs. I've seen the data for the tests using Sawyer Extractors and lesser "venom removal kits" and I've been advocating for 15 years that they are worthless. I used to keep one more to keep my wife happy, even though I knew it was useless.

 

Yes, the best thing you can do is to remain calm and keep your blood pressure down. If its an appendage and you can keep it elevated, that's the best. Its when those proteins mentioned above hit your liver, kidney, or heart that all heck breaks loose internally. I have binders and binders full of venom research articles if anyone wants to see any. I also have a picture from a scanning electron microscope (2000x) showing a protein peeling off the tissue layer that keeps your muscle fibers all in one bundle. Total loss of muscle control....

 

 

I have spent quite a bit of time googling and watching youtube videos on DC current being used as antivenom. Do you have any research on this. Dude I know got attacked by a swarm of bees and afterward stuck his fingers in a spark plug on an old truck and he said the burning stopped almost instantly. He got the idea from a reptile magazine in the 90's. The theory is dc current does something to the molecular structure of it or something blah blah blah. I read that it has to be between 10-20k volts DC, to where you can only feel a slight tingling sensation. One video I watched a guy had a hand crank generator and he swears he saved a few peoples lives with the device. I think it was in south america or africa.

[Snapshot]

 

One-Bite-From-This-Snake-Can-KIll-500-Men-Funny-Snake-Meme.jpeg

 

i read he was tripping on mushrooms when he died

Dont know about any mushrooms? He got stabbed in the heart, by tickling a Sting Ray.

[trphyhntr]

 

 

One-Bite-From-This-Snake-Can-KIll-500-Men-Funny-Snake-Meme.jpeg

i read he was tripping on mushrooms when he died

Dont know about any mushrooms? He got stabbed in the heart, by tickling a Sting Ray.

 

yeah, while swimming around on mushrooms.

[IA Born]

 

 

From the Arizona poison and drug information center

 

First Aid

In many cases, first aid performed in the field by the patient or companions only causes additional injury. The best first aid kit for snakebite includes your car keys and cell phone. Get help quickly if you are bitten

 

If you are bitten,

Don't use ice or electricity.

Don't use constricting bands or suction. Using "extractors" does not remove a significant amount of venom and the process can increase tissue damage.

Don't give alcohol or medication.

Don't wait to see if you get symptoms.

Don't try to catch the snake.

The snake may bite again.

Capture will delay your getting to the hospital.

Treatment will be the same no matter which kind of rattlesnake bit you.

Do relax and move as little as possible.

Do remove tight clothing, shoes or jewelry from the bitten limb.

DO GO to the nearest medical facility immediately.

 

This right here is the best advice. My graduate research was rattlesnake venom, particularly Mojave toxin from Mojave rattlesnakes. There can be over 40 different proteins in one venom and they can be both anticoagulants and coagulants. There are proteins that cleave off the antigen binding sites, which makes antivenom or any other antibody formation useless. Modern antivenom is a mixed bag now that its made from goat serum instead of horse serum. Its supposed to be more antigen-specific, which makes them more efficient, but the proteins are smaller, so they pass through your body unattached faster, which causes you to require more of the stuff, which drives your hospital bill up. You get the picture. I've seen the after pics of a guy who placed his hand in ice water and all that was left by the time he got to the hospital were nubs. I've seen the data for the tests using Sawyer Extractors and lesser "venom removal kits" and I've been advocating for 15 years that they are worthless. I used to keep one more to keep my wife happy, even though I knew it was useless.

 

Yes, the best thing you can do is to remain calm and keep your blood pressure down. If its an appendage and you can keep it elevated, that's the best. Its when those proteins mentioned above hit your liver, kidney, or heart that all heck breaks loose internally. I have binders and binders full of venom research articles if anyone wants to see any. I also have a picture from a scanning electron microscope (2000x) showing a protein peeling off the tissue layer that keeps your muscle fibers all in one bundle. Total loss of muscle control....

 

 

I have spent quite a bit of time googling and watching youtube videos on DC current being used as antivenom. Do you have any research on this. Dude I know got attacked by a swarm of bees and afterward stuck his fingers in a spark plug on an old truck and he said the burning stopped almost instantly. He got the idea from a reptile magazine in the 90's. The theory is dc current does something to the molecular structure of it or something blah blah blah. I read that it has to be between 10-20k volts DC, to where you can only feel a slight tingling sensation. One video I watched a guy had a hand crank generator and he swears he saved a few peoples lives with the device. I think it was in south america or africa.

 

 

In all my years, I've never seen any data to back up the DC current claim. I've heard all kinds of venom experts debunk that, though. If DC current was able to alter the molecular structure of the proteins in venom, it would also alter the molecular structure of all the proteins you're supposed to have. All that it really does is shock the living piss out of you.

 

One of these days, when we cross paths, I'll have to tell you the story of how I accidentally inhaled crystallized Mojave toxin (a very strong neurotoxin) during my research days. Yes, it was completely accidental and due to a HUGE brain fart. I lost feeling in my nose for three hours and recurrences every few months for about 10 years.

[10Turkeys]

I wonder what percentage of bites are actually dry bites?

[IA Born]

I wonder what percentage of bites are actually dry bites?

 

I used to have some of those data. The number of dry bites is higher than people realize, though; especially with adult snakes. I know I have numbers somewhere on the number of people who lied aboiut their bites because they didn't want to get screwed by their insurance. A study was done and it was something like 70-80% of people (mostly males) lied about getting bit, saying they were not provoking the snake (despite most bites being on hands and arms) so that their insurance would cover their medical costs.

[Ohthatguy]

Don't ever look through the book, Snake Venom Poisoning if you don't want to be freaked out.. I love snakes, even rattlesnakes but snake venom can do some seriously demonic damage to the body.

[MrBojangles]

somebody suggested taking benadryl, how does that help the situation?