First Minutes Matter: Snake Bite Emergency Tips
While spending time in nature is incredibly fun; it can also be quite problematic. For instance, there are plenty of issues that can arise from hanging around wildlife; like the potential danger of being bitten by a snake! If this is something you deem as a realistic risk, take a look at the snake bite emergency tips we’ve prepared below!
What To Do
Naturally, there are many situations in which you stand a realistic chance of getting a snakebite; without even leaving your own yard. Depending on your surroundings, and if you don’t cut your grass often enough – you could very well encounter a snake in your own backyard! Should this encounter happen, and you do get bitten – go to a medical emergency department right away. You’ll think of ways to get rid of snakes later; right now, this is a priority.
And bear this in mind – it doesn’t matter whether the snake that bit you was venomous or not; in the sense that you should go and see a doctor, this doesn’t mean anything. If you or someone who’s with you is capable of determining which kind of snake we’re talking about; calling someone from the emergency department will help you in regards to quick treatment. For example, they may have the antivenin you need.
See related: 6 Important Tips for Staying Calm in An Emergency
Proper Wound Care
Remember, even a bite originating from a snake that’s not venomous can still be detrimental to your health, if not properly cared for. So, the bite recipient needs to get a tetanus booster shot, provided that they haven’t had one in the previous half-decade. Apart from that, what you should do with the wound in terms of first aid, you wonder? Well, we recommend giving the wound a thorough wash with a lot of water and soap. There could be dirt or broken teeth stuck in the wound; removing these will be necessary if you don’t want to suffer any further infection.
Dealing With The Snake
When you get bitten by a snake, proper care for you isn’t the only thing that the people around you and yourself need to have in mind. Additionally, you need to think of how you’ll deal with the actual snake. If someone has already been bitten, there’s one thing you need to prevent – a second victim, or a second bite for the first victim. In other words, if there are multiple people nearby, you want to limit the damage as much as possible; so that the people affected by the snakes can get proper treatment as fast as possible.
But if you were thinking about trying to catch the snake – dispense with such thoughts right away. If you do that, you may only provoke the snake into biting more people – or attacking the first victim again. Remember – if threatened, snakes are known to inject venom and bite as long as they don’t run out of the poison in their teeth. The most you want to do is to identify the snake so that you can describe it to others and see which one it was; though only do so if it doesn’t increase the risk of the snake attacking once more.
First Aid
The first thing you need to do is to rapidly but safely transport your victim to the nearest medical care facility. Any individuals already on the scene should only provide emergency care to the extent of their abilities and training. You need to remove any items that may be constricting the bite victim; like jewelry and rings, as these are potentially going to cut off vital blood flow to the bite area.
Should someone be attacked by something like a dangerous elapid – a kind of sea snake – and you can’t notice any major effects of the wound, you need to provide them with a pressure immobilizer. You’ll find this technique is largely used against the effects of the Australian elapids’ bite.
So, wrap the bite site up in a bandage, and apply pressure to the extremity just like you would if it was a sprained wrist. Immobile it with a splint after that. This technique is there to prevent any life-threatening effects of the snake’s venom; though it could potentially also cause damage to the wound site.
Other Details
Many authorities have recommended using mechanical solutions in the past, like a Sawyer Extractor. However, in reality, it’s actually highly unlikely that such a solution will succeed in removing any notable amount of venom; while potentially still causing local tissue damage around the wound. In general, this kind of technique is rarely recommended nowadays, though many medical publications still list it as a valid treatment technique.
Also, remember that the two basic principles of caring for a victim can be in conflict when it comes to evacuation and removal from remote regions. Firstly, the victim must be hurried to an emergency medical facility as fast as possible; seeing as the antivenin meant to neutralize the negative effects of the venom may be needed to save someone’s life. On the other hand, though, the limb that’s been bitten must be used to the smallest degree possible, so as not to spread the venom around the body too much.
Conclusion
As you can see, caring for someone who’s been bitten by a snake can often mean having to act swiftly, yet carefully as well. It’s a thin balance to maintain, especially when someone’s life is on the line. However, knowing everything we’ve thought about snake bites will prove crucial in the midst of the action! Considering that, try to remain as calm as possible during a snakebite emergency, and apply the techniques we’ve taught you above.
