mohogony

Your chances of ever been bitten by a snake is extreamly low unless your some idiot that finds one out in the bush and picks it up or tries to kill it . With modern anti venom almost no one dies of snake bite in OZ these days , l think its only a couple a year, just as many die from bee stings. Its not something people living in cities in OZ worry about, if you are bitten you apply a tight bandage just above the bite to restrict the venom from flowing through the blood stream and keep you leg still and call an ambulence and tell them you have a snake bite so they have anti venom with them, l guess having a mobile phone with you would help.

asprilla

This is all moderately good advice. But does it apply for all types of snake bite? What about the trouser snake? They are fairly common, but usually stay well hidden.

Your advice would be much appreciated.

Cheetah7

Utter bollocks, we have snakes outside/inside our facility in Summer time and they are not always easy to spot and our workers do are not idiots that pick them up either, they have found them in their shoes, in the workshop and outside and have been taken by surprise by finding them which in turn will frighten the snake into striking.

And you use two bandages and it is with the same pressure you would apply to putting a bandage on a sprained limb and you go in both directions using the two bandages until the whole limb is covered not just above the snake bite.

And anti venom alone might not save you, it is the precious early moments of a pressure bandage combined with anti venom that will aid in saving your life, not purely anti venom.

lesleys

Keep calm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8r95...eature=related

Cheetah7

Ive got my snake bite bandages in the back of my car along with my snake catching kit and a first aid kit, there is no room for shopping which amuses Mr PP.

imranprogrammer

Great job. Thanks for the information.

Cheetah7

I will be 'on call' each Saturday for two suburbs, I am meant to charge a donation apparantly for petrol but have told neighbours that if they find anything just to call me at no charge.

As for trouser snakes, well it all depends if it can fit in my snake grabber.

imranprogrammer

I like that. I will be your partner in that great work.
I got experience of killing snakes a rats. I love killing both of them
A person here eats snakes alive.

EvannTel

And most venoms travel through the lymphatic system hence pressure bandage. The really dangerous bastards I.e. Tigers in WA, venom travels in blood stream and it's hard to stop that flow safely!

Cheetah7

We were given different bandages for our snake first aid kit, not like any ones we have in our St Johns box at work.

I had a pressure bandage applied to me when I did the snake course, and it felt just like a sprain bandage, it was firm though and my arm strapped to my leg.

I love the tiger snakes, they are so heavy to pick up but the ones that are really heavy are the death adders, like fat sausages. Apparantly death adders have a really fast strike, faster than tigers and dugites which is hard to imagine when you see them and they dont even move when you pick them up.

There was a guy bitten by a tiger snake in Bibra Lake about two years ago, he trod on it.

EvannTel

That's just wrong but each to their own.
We have dugites in the garden which aren't an issue. I thought guy in Bibra reached down to pick up a stubby and put his hand on the snake? If it's the one I'm thinking of he was very seriously I'll in intensive care and was lucky to make it.

John_R

Hi

there seems to be some confusion in snakebite first aid. It's believed that venom is transported to the main circulatory system via the lymph system. With Australian snakes causing no to minimal local swelling, compression bandage and imobilisation is very affective with ALL Australian venomous snakes!

First Aid

1. After ensuring the patient and onlookers have moved out of range of further strikes by the snake, the bitten person should be reassured and persuaded to lie down and remain still. Many will be terrified, fearing sudden death and, in this mood, they may behave irrationally or even hysterically. The basis for reassurance is the fact that many venomous bites do not result in envenoming, the relatively slow progression to severe envenoming (hours following elapid bites, days following viper bites) and the effectiveness of modern medical treatment.

2. The bite wound should not be tampered with in any way. The wound must not be wiped or cleaned in any way, as this may interfere with later venom detection and the wound must not be massaged.

3. All rings or other jewellery on the bitten limb, especially on fingers, should be removed, as they may act as tourniquets if oedema develops.

4. If the bite is on a limb, a broad bandage (even torn strips of clothing or pantyhose) should be applied over the bitten area at moderate pressure (as for a sprain; not so tight circulation is impaired), then extended to cover as much of the bitten limb as possible, including fingers or toes, going over the top of clothing rather than risking excessive limb movement by removing clothing. The bitten limb should then be immobilised as effectively as possible using an extemporised splint or sling.

5. If there is any impairment of vital functions, such as problems with respiration, airway, circulation, heart function, these must be supported as a priority. In particular, for bites causing flaccid paralysis, including respiratory paralysis, both airway and respiration may be impaired, requiring urgent and prolonged treatment, which may include the mouth to mask (mouth to mouth) technique of expired air transfer. Seek urgent medical attention.

6. Do not use Tourniquets, cut, suck or scarify the wound or apply chemicals or electric shock.

7. Avoid peroral intake, absolutely no alcohol. No sedatives outside hospital. If there will be considerable delay before reaching medical aid, measured in several hours to days, then give clear fluids by mouth to prevent dehydration.

8. If the offending snake has been killed it should be brought with the patient for identification (only relevant in areas where there are more than one naturally occurring venomous snake species), but be careful to avoid touching the head, as even a dead snake can envenomate. No attempt should be made to pursue the snake into the undergrowth as this will risk further bites. In Australia and parts of New Guinea, Snake Venom Detection Kits are available to identify the snake from venom left on the skin.

9. The snakebite victim should be transported as quickly and as passively as possible to the nearest place where they can be seen by a medically-trained person (health station, dispensary, clinic or hospital). The bitten limb must not be exercised as muscular contraction will promote systemic absorption of venom. If no motor vehicle or boat is available, the patient can be carried on a stretcher or hurdle, on the pillion or crossbar of a bicycle or on someone's back.

10. Most traditional, and many of the more recently fashionable, first aid measures are useless and potentially dangerous. These include local cauterization, incision, excision, amputation, suction by mouth, vacuum pump or syringe, combined incision and suction ("venom-ex" apparatus), injection or instillation of compounds such as potassium permanganate, phenol (carbolic soap) and trypsin, application of electric shocks or ice (cryotherapy), use of traditional herbal, folk and other remedies including the ingestion of emetic plant products and parts of the snake, multiple incisions, tattooing and so on.


John

EvannTel

John
A really good and detailed post virtually straight out of the manual! Not sure there is any confusion though, I'd say the advice has been pretty consistent with the priorities for most first aiders.

Cheetah7

I heard he had trodden on it but that was someone at work told me that, he was lucky to make it though thats for sure. My manager was cycling round Bibra Lake the other week and cycled by a tiger snake, the snake was sunnig himself and just ignored him.

What surprised me is how quick the dugites are, for our course we had to capture them - and you only have to move above their field of vision and they rise up so quickly.

Our trainer was telling us about a guy who was bitten by a death adder and died on his way to hospital. Apparantly reactions to the anti venom can be unpredictable as well.

daunted

Thanks for all the replies. Is good to know what to do. We have seen snakes at the back of our estate and its good to know just in case