BITES: SNAKES

Any snakebite should receive medical attention as soon as possible. A bite from a poisonous snake is a medical emergency. A bite from a non-poisonous snake can cause an infection or serious allergic reaction in some people.

In the United States, the poisonous snakes are rattlers, copperheads, water moccasins, and coral snakes. The bites from these snakes can effectively be treated with antivenin.

The purpose of first aid for a venomous snakebite is to protect the victim from further harm and to reduce the spread of snake venom. If the snake bite is from a poisonous snake, it is important to get medical care as quickly and safely as possible. If it is not known whether the snake is poisonous or not, treat it as if it was a poisonous snakebite.

Immediate first aid steps are:

Move the victim to safety.
Keep the person calm and quiet, avoiding excess movement.
Remove jewelry or tight fitting clothing from below the bite.
Immobilize the bitten area and keep it lower than the heart.
Get medical help.
Do not give the victim anything to eat or drink.

If the victim is unable to get to medical care within 30 minutes:

Apply a light restricting band (not a tourniquet) that is wrapped 2 to 4 inches above the site to help slow the movement of venom. Make the band loose enough so two fingers can slip under it and a pulse can be felt below the band. Loosen the band as swelling occurs.
Without cutting, apply strong suction immediately to draw venom out of the wound. Do not try to suction the venom by mouth. A commercial snakebite kit will have a suction device. Continue the suction process until medical care is provided.

Important first aid "no's" for snake bite:

no tourniquets
no cuts or incisions (Cutting the bite may cause more injury.)
no ice or any other type of cooling on the bite (This can cause further injury.)
no electric shock (Electric shock has yet to be proven effective.) and
no food or drink

Signs of a snake bite:

wound marks are often a series of cuts and scratches, with at least one fang entry wound (Seldom will a pair of clean matched puncture wounds be seen.)
free bleeding will occur from the wound marks (venom turns blood into a watery consistency)
a bothersome burning sensation may turn into overwhelming pain
swelling may cause serious restrictions in circulation and injure local tissues

Some later symptoms and problems include:

massive swelling
extreme skin and nerve sensitivity
skin tissue dies and turns black
massive bacterial infection and
inability to rest properly

Medical care treatment for a snakebite victim may include giving the victim a species-specific antivenin. Extreme care is also taken to observe progressing complications from the bite and dictates the course of medical treatment. Antivenin produces side effects, but these become incidental in a life or death matter.

Avoiding snakes and prevention are the best medicine. Be prepared before venturing out into the woods, desert, or mountains. Before you visit, hike, or camp in a new area, do the following:

learn about the snakes that live where you are going
learn the proper first aid techniques for snakebite, so you will know how to correctly help the victim and yourself
know the location of the closest medical facility in case of an emergency and
take a cellular phone with you

Take precautions when visiting snake regions:

leave snakes alone (Do not try to kill a snake or get a closer look.)
wear long pants and boots
stay on hiking paths
be cautious and alert when climbing rocks and
do not pick up firewood or rocks or reach into any areas that you cannot see into clearly

Remember, a poisonous snakebite is a medical emergency and all non-poisonous snakebites should receive medical attention as soon as possible.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIL File PREP4328.RF2 VRS# 4328 Data Version 7.0