How to Treat Rattle Snake Bites

Being bitten by a rattlesnake is a frightening thing. These venomous creatures are capable of killing adults, and often the first indication that a snake is in the vicinity is a rattling noise immediately preceding its strike. Nobody ever expects to be bitten, but accidents will always occur and it is best to be as prepared as possible when venturing into known snake habitats. Keeping these simple guidelines in mind will significantly improve your chances of recovering in the event that a bite does occur.

Things You'll Need

• No-cut snakebite kit

Instructions

1. Stay calm and assess the situation. Most rattlesnake bites are "dry bites," meaning the snake did not inject venom. However, the younger the snake, the more likely that the bite was "wet" and venom was injected. In the event that the bite was wet, keeping yourself as calm as possible (and thereby keeping your breathing and heart rates down) will slow the spread of venom through your bloodstream.

2. Stop whatever you are doing. This is for the same reason you should remain calm; any physical activity will increase your heart rate and speed the spread of the venom. Sit down if possible. In particular, you should avoid moving the bitten area or extremity.

3. Back off from the snake and let it go. Many people, when bitten by a snake, will try to catch it for identification. This is a bad idea; not only will it almost certainly result in another bite, it won't do any good anyway, as most antivenins are not specific to a particular species and local hospitals will stock the supplies to treat local snake species' bites. Knowing you've been bitten by a rattlesnake is sufficient (note that not all rattlesnakes will rattle every time before striking).

4. Keep the wound below your heart if possible. Most rattlesnake bites are on the legs, which makes this relatively easy, but if you are bitten on an arm do your best to keep it lowered. Keeping the wound below your heart will help to slow the spread of venom through your system (if the bite was wet) by making the venom-carrying blood work against, rather than with, the pull of gravity to reach your heart (and thus the rest of your body). Do not, however, attempt to block the blood flow with a tourniquet, as it is extremely dangerous for anyone but trained medical personnel to apply tourniquets. Be sure to remove any jewelry or constricting clothing from the bite area, which may swell quickly.

5. Use a no-cut snakebite kit if one is available and doing so does not distract or delay you from getting medical attention. If doing so would delay professional medical help, do not use it. It is important to know what kind of snakebite kit you are carrying; many kits include a razor blade, including in the instructions a direction to cut near the wound before using the kit to suck out the venom. Do not use any kit that includes this, as doing so will not only take extra unnecessary time, but will cause you much greater harm. Every snakebite kit is different, so follow the instructions in the kit. Remember also that a snakebite kit is useless unless used immediately after the bite; even just a couple of minutes later, the venom (if there is any) will have spread too far through your bloodstream to be sucked out.

6. Seek the nearest professional medical help as quickly as possible. No matter what first aid equipment you're carrying with you, a bite from a rattlesnake should always be looked at right away by a qualified physician. If possible, minimize movement and exertion as you get to the nearest medical center; this may mean dropping your gear if you're hiking, or even having others carry you rather than walking.

References

• Snakebites: First Aid