subject: Snakebites: Home First Aid Tips [print this page] Snakebites: Home First Aid Tips Snakebites: Home First Aid Tips
The clinic I used to practice in is positioned near a rice field and the place has been known to have several sightings of snakes. One day, a distress call was made at the ER just a few seconds after a one-year old baby was brought in. The baby was bitten by a snake just outside their home which is fronting the clinic. Once I saw him, he was already unconscious without spontaneous breathing, but I could still hear faint heart sounds. He had two snake bite marks on his right leg, with no swelling and bleeding. I noticed the tourniquet was applied 3 inches above the bite. I began to question why the baby looked so terribly ill. Parents admitted which 3 hours had previously passed from the time he was bitten before they rushed him to the clinic, simply because they first brought the kid to a traditional healer. I intubated the child, offered respiratory assistance and emergency medicines, but I needed to transport him to a tertiary hospital where antivenom was available. The last thing I've heard, the child did not survive. It was too late.Snakebites, although rare, should not be underestimated. A victim's age does not affect the intensity of snakebites, but size does. This is the reason why infants and young children are much more vulnerable to envenomation. Nonetheless, not all snakes are poisonous. Non-poisonous snakes have narrow heads, sleek tapered bodies, no facial pits, rounded pupils, and double row of teeth. Pit vipers have arrow-head or triangular head, with facial pits between the eyes and nostril, vertical or elliptical pupils, and movable fangs. Lastly, cobras have the characteristic hoods, that spread when they are threatened.It is very important to distinguish between the bite of a pit viper with that of a cobra because their treatments vary (Cobra antivenom is ineffective against poison of other poisonous snakes). In viper attacks, the inflammation is marked and extensive which may include the whole extremity, coupled with bleeding symptoms that can prospect to shock. In contrast, cobra bites are characterized with burning pain in the bitten region which generally radiates up the limb. Swelling is much less extreme than that of viper bites. There is dusky staining near the bite marks that extends and darkens. Victims of cobra bites commonly present with rapidly progressive paralysis of muscle groups and cessation of breathing.Although antivenom is the ultimate treatment for poisonous snake bites which is obtainable only in hospitals, personal knowledge of how to manage snake attacks at the time and place of incident is just as vital.Right here are some guiding rules in the first aid of snake bites.#1. No incision should be made on the bite site. Manipulation of the bite site can introduce infection and hold off healing, or may injure nerves and tendons.#2. Do not apply an arterial tourniquet. If transport to a clinic with antivenom could consider more than 30 minutes, apply an absorption delaying compression bandage (like fabric/towels torn into strips or panty hose) close to the limb and On the bitten region. It ought to be as snug as one would bind a sprained ankle.#3. If the bite is on the trunk, neck, and head, apply a firm pressure Over the bitten region. Do not limit chest movements.#4. If poison enters the eyes (from a spitting cobra), patient's head ought to be immersed in water and the patient ought to be told to blink. In doing so,poison can be rapidly diluted with no more ill effects in most cases.#5. During transit, the bitten limb ought to be moved as little as possible to decrease the spread of venom. Hence, the involved limb should be immobilized using splints.#6. If possible, provide transport to the affected person rather than vice versa to reduce movement of the body which might enhance spread of the venom.#7. Bite wounds may be insignificant. Sufferers, most especially kids who claim that they have been bitten, even in the absence of fang marks, should be believed.Snakebites are unusual, but its rarity should to not make anybody complacent regarding it. For every individual who has been bitten, it is a matter of life and death. And doing the right initial treatment at home could tip the balance toward a life-saving end and hopefully spare the life of the victim.
