Snakebite
There are four kinds of poisonous snakes in the United States, the bites of which endanger life:
(1) rattlesnakes,
(2) water moccasins (cottonmouths),
(3) copperheads, and
(4) coral snakes. The first three just mentioned are called "pit vipers" and these cause 98 percent of the poisonous snakebites in the United States. The following precautions will help you to avoid being bitten by a snake:
1. Do not hike alone.
2. Wear protective clothing: high boots, trousers, long gloves.
3. Do not try to surprise or corner a snake.
4. Do not play with poisonous snakes.
5. When you can't see where you are stepping, prod the ground with a stick.
6. Do not reach into blind holes or rocky ledges.
FIRST AID FOR SNAKEBITE
POISONOUS OR NONPOISONOUS
Poisonous or nonpoisonous, a snake bite should have medical attention. A snakebite victim should be taken to a hospital as quickly as possible, even in cases when snakebite is only suspected.
FIRSTAID
1. As stated above, get the victim to a hospital fast . Meanwhile, take the following general first aid measures:
• Keep the victim from moving around.
• Keep the victim as calm as possible, preferably lying down.
• Immobilize the bitten extremity and keep it at or below heart level.
If a hospital can be reached within 4 to 5 hours and no symptoms develop, this is all that is necessary.
2. If mild to moderate symptoms develop, apply a constricting band from 2 to 4 inches above the bite but NOT around a joint (i.e., elbow, knee, wrist, or ankle) and NOT around the head, neck, or trunk. The band should be from 3/4 to l/2 inches wide, NOT thin like a rubber band. The band should be snug, but loose enough to slip one finger underneath. Be alert to swelling; loosen the band if it becomes too tight, but do not remove it. To ensure that blood flow has not been stopped, periodically check the pulse in the extremity beyond the bite.
3. If severe symptoms develop, incisions and suction should be performed immediately. Apply a constricting band. if not already done, and make a cut in the skin with a sharp sterilized blade through the fang mark(s). Cuts should be no deeper than just through the skin and should be '/2 inch long, extending over the suspected venom deposit point (because a snake strikes downward, the deposit point is usually lower than the fang mark). Cuts should be made along the long axis of the limb.
DO NOT make cross-cut incisions; DO NOT make cuts on the head, neck, or trunk. Suction should be applied with a suction cup for 30 minutes. If a suction cup is not available, use the mouth. There is little risk to the rescuer who uses his mouth, but it is recommended that the venom not be swallowed and that the mouth be rinsed.
IF THE HOSPITAL IS NOT CLOSE (cannot be reached within from 4 to 5 hours)
1. Continue to try to obtain professional care by transportation of the victim or by communication with a rescue service.
2. If no symptoms develop. continue trying to reach the hospital and give the general first aid described above.
3. If ANY symptoms develop. apply a constricting band and perform incisions and suction immediately, as described above.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
1. Shock: Keep the victim lying down and comfortable and maintain body temperature.
2. Breathing and heartbeat: If breathing stops, give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. If breathing stops and there is no pulse, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be performed by those trained to do so.
3. Identifying the snake: If the snake can be killed without risk or delay, it should be brought, with care, to the hospital for identification.
4. Cleansing the bitten area: The bitten area may be washed with soap and water and blotted dry with sterile gauze. Dressings and bandages can be applied, but only for a short period of time.
5. Cold therapy: Cold compresses, ice, dry ice, chemical ice packs, spray refrigerants, and other methods of cold therapy are NOT recommended in the first aid treatment of snakebite.
6. Medicine to relieve pain: A medicine not containing aspirin can be given to the victim for relief of pain. DO NOT give alcohol, sedatives, aspirin, or other medications.
7. Snakebite kits: Keep a kit accessible for all outings in snake-infested or primitive areas.
SYMPTOMS
1. Mild to moderate symptoms include mild swelling or discoloration and mild to moderate pain at the wound site with tingling sensations, rapid pulse, weakness, dimness of vision, nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath.
2. Severe symptoms include rapid swelling and numbness, followed by severe pain at the wound site. Other effects include pinpoint pupils, twitching, slurred speech, shock, convulsions, paralysis, unconsciousness, and no breathing or pulse.
F. Spider Bite. The spider causing the greatest harm is the female black widow, found throughout the Americas. The bite produces a sharp pain locally, followed in about thirty minutes by rigidity of the abdominal muscles, and abdominal cramps. Weakness, severe pain in the limbs, and even convulsions may follow. The outcome depends on the amount of venom received, the vitality of the victim, and the promptness of treatment. The mortality rate is about 5 percent, most deaths occurring in children.
WHAT TO DO
1. Take the victim to the hospital as quickly as possible.
2. Warm baths will help to relieve muscle cramps and pain.
3. Some physicians give injections of antivenin for spider bites.
G. Tarantula Bite. This is painful but less serious than a black widow spider bite. Care of the victim is comparable in both cases.
H. Tick Bites. The bite of a tick not only produces discomfort in the local area where the tick's head is buried in the skin but it may also transmit infections, some of which are serious.
WHAT TO DO
In attempting to remove a tick, the tick's body may break away, leaving the head embedded in the skin. To avoid this, turpentine may be applied to the exposed portion of the tick. Or, touching the tick with an extinguished match head (still hot) may cause the insect to release its grasp. Another method is to cover the tick with petrolatum (Vaseline) or heavy oil. This closes the insect's breathing pores, usually forcing it to dislodge within half an hour. As a last resort, the insect may be removed by careful manipulation with tweezers, rotating the head counterclockwise.
Following removal, the skin area should be scrubbed with soap and water for about five minutes. If the victim develops a fever within the next few hours, the doctor should be notified. The tick may have transmitted disease germs.
Source
© 1978 by the American National Red Cross
Snakebite prevention practices that can eliminate needless illness and worry may be learned in a Red Cross first aid course. Call your chapter to enroll. The information on this post is based on a report prepared for the American Red Cross by the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. American Red Cross
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