Snake Bite kits don't work!

imported
#1

According to “The Clinical Advisor” (March 2004) Snake Bite kits don’t work! Finally some professional
documentation to prove what many of us have been told.
The article is as follows: "The Celluloid cliche’ of
the cowboy valiantly sucking out the snake venom from
his partner in distress should be left on the silver
screen. Mechanical suction as a means of removing
venom from a snakebite is useless and may actually
increase tissue damage, saya a study in “Annals of
Emergency Medicine (2004;43:181-186)”. After injecting
human volunteers in the leg with an easily traced mock
venom, researchers applied the Sawyer Extractor Pump,
a device sold in camping and sporting goods stores, to
the site of the injection. The pump removed an average
of only 0.04% of the mock venom. The researchers, led
by emergency physician Michael B. Alberts, MD, of the
University of California, San Francisco-Fresno, noted
that since the pump fails to remove significant amounts
of venom, its application may cause more harm than good

  • wasting the victim’s valuable time and possibly
    causing local tissue damage. Also, some snakebite
    victims may assume that the venom has been removed and
    seek no further medical attention. In the United States
    there are approximately 8000 venomous snakebites
    reported as medical emergencies per year; fortunately,
    only one to 15 of these are fatal. In an accompanying
    editorial, emergency physician Sean P. Bush, MD, of
    Loma Linda University in California, states that “we
    should stop recommending extractors for pit viper
    bites, and the manufacturer should certainly stop advertising that they are recommended medically as the
    only acceptable first-aid device for snakebites.”
    Alternative first-aid techniques should be looked into,
    and until then, Dr. Bush remarks, “…the best first
    aid for snakebite is a cell phone and a helicopter.” "
    ---- So save some weight and don’t bother bring it. I
    do have some questions about the research, but it
    backs up what many people have been saying all along,
    that the snakebite kits do not work. -
    Rick The Lone Wolf

Rick The Lone Wolf

#2

This is essentially what was taught in the Red Cross Wilderness First Aid Basic certification course I took a few months back.

The instructors did add that using a Sawyer Extractor could be useful – not because it extracts any venom but because the patient would likely THINK it did and thus calm down, which IS important.

When I think about the Extractor, it doesn’t make sense that it would extract venom to any degree – it seems that the suction would compress the surface tissues and close off the puncture wound, preventing the extraction of venom.

deeddawg

#3

The extractor,and the little rubber suckies do work great on bee stings.(No I don’t carry either,although I will admit to owning both)Oo

Onlyone

#4

Remember, that a majority of snake bites do not result in significant (such as pain, swelling, etc) symptoms. Must times, the snake bites you, and there is no venom to speak of. If you for sure know that it was a venomous snake, you can wait a few minutes before panicking to see how you feel. If you start developing swelling, and significant pain, (I have been bitten recently by a copperhead and had to be hospitalized, antivenom,etc-it hurts mucho!) then you need to get out of the woods as quick as possible. On the other hand, if there is little to no swelling, minimal discomfort, and you really or OK (except being worried), you can clean the bite. and watch closely over the next day for redness or signs of infection. In that case, again seek care. If you get evenomated, believe me, you’ll know you need to worry. If you don’t develop significant symptoms, either the snake was not venomous, or you din’t get enough venom to matter.

Zydecajun

#5

What where you doing when you got bit? im deathly affraid of snakes and i will prolly take me an extra month to hike the AT becuase i will be tip toeing threw the woods slowly. what if you cant get out of the woods? what do you do?

Anthony

#6

I was actually handling a copperhead my son had caught in our yard. I have handled snakes my whole life (Zoo major - what else) and have been bit 40-50 times- always because I wasn’t being careful. One thing, when you’re hiking and you hear a snake “running” away, just stand still. Pit vipers (copperheads, moccassins, rattlers) will stand their ground, They will either strike you if you’re close enough to them (1/2 the length of their body) or you will more likely walk right next to them and never know how close you came to them. Even if they strike you, it’s much more likely than not they won’t evenomate you. My Dad always told nme that the snakes are always more afraid of you than you are of them! Enjoy you’re hike and forget about the snakes.

Zydecajun

#7

Scenario: Your’re two hiking days from civilization. You get bit. It’s a viper. You’ve got symtoms. You don’t have a cell or it doesn’t work. Do you stay put, or walk?

Slow Motion

#8

Slow Motion might become Motion-less if he doesn’t get help!
I’m curious also about what would be the best course of action.

Snakespit

#9

In EMT school we learned, wash the bite with soap and water, or other bacteria killing agents, Immoblize the bitten area, keep it below the heart, and get them to the hospital like 10 minutes ago!

When hiking imoblization obviously is not always practical, so you can tie a bandage two or three inches below the bitten area to slow the venom spread. Not so tight that it cuts off circulation. You should be able to slip a finger inside of the dressing.

You should get out of there ASAP. If you get bit by a viper two days out and have symptoms… learn some good prayers too… you going to need it.

Thunder

#10

“When hiking imoblization obviously is not always practical, so you can tie a bandage two or three inches below the bitten area to slow the venom spread. Not so tight that it cuts off circulation. You should be able to slip a finger inside of the dressing.”

I believe using something to limit the spread of the venom is very controversial. It might stop the venom from killing you, but it might also cause you to lose that appendage. It’s a tough call. You “might” save your leg, but you might also have survived, but caused yourself to lose the leg.

Who knows what’s right. Avoid the biting end!

Gravity Man

gravity man

#11

I have recently read somewhere that the chances of a healthy person dieing from a snake bite of the poisonous snakes found along the trail is remote. If you are in an area that is far from a place where you can get evacuated it would be better to hole up and tough it out for what would sure to be a some of the worst time of your life and send someone for help.

Big B

#12

Is there a doctor in the house? Or at least someone that can set this straight. Yall skeer me.

Kildair

#13

You’re right Gravity, if it’s too tight it becomes a turnique and then you could loose the leg. No doubt.

A tight (not cutting off the circulation) bandage can slow (nothing is definite) depends on the snake, the location and depth of the bite, etc.

If there is a Doc in the house, tell me if I’m wrong I don’t want to kill someone…
:nerd

Thunder

#14

You have to use your judgement if bitten and have symtoms of evenomation. This past weekend, I was hiking 9 miles from the nearest road, in a very remote area-and came very close to getting bit by a large cottonmouth. If I had been bit and symptomatic, I would have NOT tied a tournaquet of any kind, I would have tried to minimize movement of that leg, I would NOT have waited for help(unlikely) and I would have been hurting like Hell-but I would have sucked it up and hiked out. I then would have gotten to a hospital asap.

Zydecajun