You can find them perched attractively on the shelves in outdoor stores, even Walmart, but as tempting as they appear, it’s not worth your money. Commercial snake bite kits are not endorsed by the agencies of wilderness medicine, like the Wilderness Medical Society. In fact, they can cause more harm than good. Items like suction devices and scalpels are not necessary and are only for those that think they know what they are doing but really have no clue. The truth is, there is not much to add to a first aid kit for snake bite treatment.
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There are many myths about how to treat a snake bite. First of all, snakebites are rare and majority result from being unnecessarily provoked. Most snake bites are "dry", meaning no venom has been injected. Venom comes in 3 flavors:
After a bite, if no symptoms appear after an hour then it is probably a dry bite. If venom has been injected then symptoms will most likely appear within 5-15 minutes. Symptoms include burning pain, swelling, bleeding and/or bruising in other areas of the body, respiratory distress, fainting, sweating, and weakness.
- hemotoxin: causes abnormal bleeding and blood clotting
- neurotoxin: causes muscle weakness and respiratory paralysis
- hemo-neurotoxin: A nasty mix of the two
After a bite, if no symptoms appear after an hour then it is probably a dry bite. If venom has been injected then symptoms will most likely appear within 5-15 minutes. Symptoms include burning pain, swelling, bleeding and/or bruising in other areas of the body, respiratory distress, fainting, sweating, and weakness.
***Click here find out how to stop a heavy bleed without a tourniquet. ***
Treatment of a snake bite in the wilderness is fairly straightforward. Keep the patient calm, no strenuous activity. Wash out the wound with 1-2 liters of water that is clean enough to drink. Splint if it is an extremity. Try to identify the snake, this info may help medical providers select the right anti-venom. Evacuate or get/call help if symptoms begin to appear. If not, still seek medical care in a timely manner to avoid possible wound infection.
If you are alone, attempt to get help by calling 911 with your phone or alerting others on the trail. If you begin to experience symptoms and you can not contact help, then it may be best to begin to self evacuate slowly. Walk and try to stay calm.
If you are alone, attempt to get help by calling 911 with your phone or alerting others on the trail. If you begin to experience symptoms and you can not contact help, then it may be best to begin to self evacuate slowly. Walk and try to stay calm.
Because of the various myths and outdated information, let’s highlight what not to do with snake bites.
- Do not make an incision to drain the bite wound of venom. This will just cause unnecessary tissue damage. So please, throw that scalpel away.
- Do not try to suck venom from the wound, especially with your mouth. This is just disgusting and will greatly increase the chance of wound infection. It also can be a route for blood borne pathogen transmission. Commercial snakebite suction devices are not advised. Dr. Sean Bush of Venom ER, a BBC TV series, states “I have studied the Sawyer Extractor Pump extensively and found that it does not remove enough venom to make a clinical difference. In fact, I wrote an editorial about it: "Snakebite venom suction devices don't remove venom–they just suck." You can find this editorial here.
- Do not add meat tenderizer or anything else into or on top of the bite. Again, this will likely increase infection and may cause further irritation.
- Do not apply a tourniquet. Cutting off blood circulation and potentially losing an extremity is not ideal or needed.
- Do not apply ice. Again, may cause further tissue damage.
- And do not burn the bite site. Sounds obvious, but you would be surprised.
In Albuquerque, NM, a teenage boy provoked a snake in the Sandia foothills. It bit his finger. The young man wrapped a wire around his finger to act like a tourniquet, sliced open the wound, then burned the site...He reached me in the Emergency Room 20 minutes after his snake encounter. Poor kid. It was a dry bite. He did more damage than the snake! He was the cause of nearly losing a finger.
Have any snake stories? Do you have any other snake bite questions? Leave a comment. Safe adventures from Base Medical!
*all information is at the wilderness first aid level of practice
Have any snake stories? Do you have any other snake bite questions? Leave a comment. Safe adventures from Base Medical!
*all information is at the wilderness first aid level of practice
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