Red Flag : Snake bites
If you were a Girl Scout or Boy Scout, you probably received instructions on first aid for poisonous snakebites. Perhaps a few of you were from my generation and carried around a “snakebite kit”, which contained a tourniquet, a small lancet, and a rubber bulb for sucking out the blood, in case you didn’t want to use your mouth. Over the years there have been many versions of what one should do for immediate care. First of all, most bites are from non-poisonous snakes and should be treated like any other animal bite.
This article will discuss the latest recommendations for the poisonous varieties. In the United States, about 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year, and five to six of those bitten, die. Most of these bites are provoked rather than accidental.
If you exclude exotic species brought in as pets, there are basically two native groups of poisonous snakes in this country. These are the pit vipers, like rattlesnakes (Southern California and most areas in U.S.), and the coral snakes (Arizona, Texas and the southeast). A coral snake must be differentiated from a king snake, which has the same colored bands (yellow, red, black) as the coral, but in a different order. The king snake is a good guy/gal and beneficial for the garden. A coral snake has “red on yellow...fatal fellow”. For the king snake, red bands do not border yellow bands.
If you see or hear a rattle, it is a rattle snake (that was easy). They do not go out of their way to bite you unless they think that you are a threat to their safety. All pit vipers possess hollow fangs, slit−like, elliptical pupils, and a heat−seeking pit between each eye and nostril.
If you live in an area that borders on a forest or natural reserve or if you do a lot of wilderness hiking, you should familiarize yourself with the appearance of the local snakes.
There is a controversy about capturing the offending snake. For one thing, this often results in a second bite and even if the (hopefully dead) snake is brought in, it may no longer have a recognizable appearance.
So what about the venom? The venom can damage almost every organ system in the body. It is not to be taken lightly and requires immediate and professional treatment, i.e., in an emergency room. The pit viper bite usually causes sudden pain at the site which has been described as “severe stinging” or being “hit by a hammer”.
The amount of damage depends on the amount of venom injected. About 25% of bites occur without significant injection of venom. The downside can include local swelling and erythema, hemorrhage, systemic shock, death...or nothing.
First responders should direct their attention to supporting the airway, breathing and circulation (ABCs). Keep the patient calm. Arrange immediate transportation to a medical facility for monitoring and possible anti-venom. Remove any constricting clothing or jewelry, especially rings, before swelling can occur. Although this has not been studied, most experts believe that the affected body part should be immobilized in a neutral or slightly dependent position in relation to the heart. Outdated first−aid measures such as incision and suction, application of a tourniquet and immersion in ice have all been shown to be of no value and may be potentially dangerous, so these practices should be abandoned.
The moral to this story is:
“Look before you leap, for snakes among sweet flowers creep” [Proverbs]