Things You'll Need:
- Bandages
- Tetanus Shots
- Bandages
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Step 1
Determine if the snake may be poisonous. Most poisonous snakes in the United States have certain physical characteristics: a triangular-shaped head, slit-like eyes and an indentation between the nose and eyes.
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Step 2
Seek medical help immediately if you know or even suspect a snake may be poisonous.
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Step 3
Stay calm and lie as quietly as possible if medical care is on the way.
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Step 4
Use a commercial snakebite kit if medical help is more than 30 minutes away.
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Step 5
Try to keep your body warm.
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Step 6
Keep the area that was bitten below the level of your heart.
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Step 7
Wrap a bandage snugly several inches above (not on) the bite if it's on an arm or leg.
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Step 8
Keep the wounded area immobile and use a splint if possible.
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Step 1
Wash the area of the bite with soap and water and rinse well.
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Step 2
Allow the bleeding to stop by itself unless it is severe.
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Step 3
Get a tetanus shot if you have not had one in five or more years, or if your primary vaccine series is incomplete.
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Step 4
Watch for increasing redness and swelling, red streaks on the skin, puss, fever or increasing warmth around the wound; these are all signs of a possible infection.
Comments
brutustalks said
on 1/20/2009 Tieing a rope above the bite area, will only cause more tissue damage.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Don't forget to remove jewelry (especially rings). The location of the bite will most definitely swell... and you don't want to be wearing a ring when your hand starts doubling/tripling in size!
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 To use a commerical snake bite kit is to just be asking for trouble.
DO NOT cut the wound! (You only increase the tissue damage and increase the risk from infection).
DO NOT tie a rope or tornaquet above the wound! (You risk totally losing the limb!!!! Especially in America, where most of our snakes have hemotoxic venom (which destroys blood & tissue))
DO NOT try sucking the poison out by mouth! (If you have a cut in the mouth (or even if not, due to the think skin and numerous blood vessels under the tongue, etc) you could end up envenomated as well).
If you have the suction cups from a snakebite kit, it won't hurt (except for the hickeys), but it probably won't do much good either.
What TO do?
#1. Remain Calm (as possible)
#2. Get Medical help!!!
#3. If medical help is far away, the compression wrap mentioned in the tips, is probably ok.
#4. Agree with no medications
Identification of the type of snake is key when it comes to treatment, but don't try to kill the snake (many people get bitten this way). Just try to identify the snake, or remember it's markings and colors. (In this age of digital cameras... if you have one, use it.)
Anonymous said
on 4/19/2008 If you get bitten by a snake, tie a rope just above the wound. This will help slow down the speed of the poison in the blood. Suck the poison from the wound and spit it out.