Don't use a tourniquet — unless you want to amputate everything from the tourniquet down.
By Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping
The arrival of warm weather means more days spent outside hiking, gardening, and barbecuing, but it's not all sunshine and rainbows: The change of seasons also facilitates more encounters with ticks, mosquitoes, and for some parts of the U.S., snakes.
Editor's note: This article is intended for informational purposes only. If you or someone you know has been bitten by a snake, you should call 9-1-1 immediately.
About 7,000 to 8,000 people per year receive venomous bites in the United States, and about five of those are fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That second statistic would be much higher if not for proper medical care, but while professional attention and antivenom can help save a life, first aid mistakes by amateurs in the field can do more harm than good.
Specifically, tourniquets, cutting the wound, or sucking the venom out of a bite won't improve the situation as much as you may think. "At best, they will waste your time, and at worst, cause harm," Leslie V. Boyer, MD, founding Director of the Venom Immunochemistry, Pharmacology and Emergency Response (VIPER) Institute at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine in Tucson, tells GoodHousekeeping.com.
Thankfully the United States is home to fewer venomous snake species than other parts of the world, but several native types of pit vipers and coral snakes can deliver dangerous toxic enzymes with a single strike. Of course, if you're unsure what kind of reptile has bitten you, it's always best to seek medical care ASAP.
Here's exactly what you should do — and not do — if you receive a bite from a venomous North American snake:
Do call 9-1-1 immediately.
The absolute most important thing you should do before anything else is call 9-1-1 or Poison Control. When it comes to venomous snakes, "time is tissue" according to Dr. Boyer.
"When the venom from a pit viper goes into your body, it treats it the same way it would treat a meal," she explained. "[The venom is] starting to damage the protein and the fat. The longer you let it marinate, the more damage is going to do. The principal of using the antivenom to neutralize venom is that you want to stop it from having that effect before too much damage is done."
[post_ads]A bite becomes fatal usually by causing shock, which is a life-threatening condition brought on by a sudden drop in blood flow. Since it can take several hours to occur, Dr. Boyer estimated that about 10-15% of venomous snakebites in the U.S. would become fatal without immediate medical care.
"Really what you need is, step one, to be in the hands of medical professionals who can keep the blood circulating," she said. "And, number two, neutralization of the venom so it can’t do anymore any damage."'
Try to remember the shape and color of the snake.
Noting what the animal looked like can help with treatment later on, but don't try to pick up the snake or trap it, the CDC advises. It'll just put you or someone else at risk.
Copperheads bite more people in the United States than any other venomous snake, but luckily their venom is rarely life-threatening with proper medical care. They are found mostly in Eastern North America.
Try to move as little as possible.
If you're alone in a remote area, your first priority is to get to safety. Find a place where you can call for help. If you're with others, have them carry you if possible.
"Minimize the amount that you’re moving because it’s minimizing the amount of venom that will travel up into your body," Dr. Boyer explains.
Do let someone else drive to the hospital.
It seems obvious, but this is a condition that can worsen quickly. "You might feel fine but going into shock while driving is a supremely bad idea," she said. "Call 9-1-1; it’s worth the ambulance ride."
Do draw on your skin.
Stash a Sharpie in your first aid kit; it could help out your future ER doc by showing the spread of the venom. Draw a circle around the fang marks and note the time. A little while later, draw another loop around the swollen area and write the time again.
Each ring shows the progression of the bite, and it can help inform your medical team how much antivenom to give.
Do take off all your jewelry.
Get ahead of future swelling and remove any tight rings or clothes on the same limb as the bite. "It’s considered a tourniquet of the future," Dr. Boyer explained. "Get that wedding ring off because if you don't, they'll cut it off."
The water moccasin, also called the cottonmouth, resides in or near lakes, streams, and marshes in the Southeastern U.S.
Don't elevate the limb right away.
Doctors or EMTs may elevate the site of the bite once they start administering care, but raising it before receiving antivenom can accelerate shock. Keep it in a neutral position (i.e. at the same level as your heart) if possible until you're in expert hands.
Don't apply ice.
Some common first aid measures do more harm than good. Not only will preparing an ice pack waste valuable time, but it can also lead to even more problems. "Things that are flat-out harmful include applying so much ice that you get frostbite," Dr. Boyer said. "Snakebites plus ice equals amputation."
Don't use a tourniquet.
It goes against common perception, but applying a tight tourniquet is absolutely on the don't list, according to American Association of Poison Control Centers.
"A decision to put on a tourniquet is a decision to amputate everything from the tourniquet down," Dr. Boyer said. Using one not only reduces the flow of toxins, but the flow of blood to the affected area.
A compression wrap can help in some cases (read: in other parts of the world), but given the types of snakes in North America and the high probability you're within a few hours or even minutes of a hospital, this will only make things worse.
Don't cut the wound.
A long time ago, survival guides advised slashing an X on the site of the wound. The recommendation has since changed, and here's why: "Each corner of the X gets necrotic and dies and then you have a real divot for a scar," Dr. Boyer explained. Plus, it cuts off blood supply from the tissue, slowing healing.
Don't try to suck out the venom either.
Venom goes deep into the layer between the skin and the muscle and it spreads out right away (within a minute of the bite). Therefore it's impossible to suction out venom, and attempts just increase pain and damage unnecessarily.
Watch out for your pets, too.
It's not just friends and family you should worry about. Dogs, horses, and other animals can receive serious bites. You might see swelling, whining, bleeding, or potentially a fang mark on the paws or face.
"Even if it looks bad there’s a good chance you can rescue them," Dr. Boyer says. You'll have to act quickly though, and it won't come cheap. Antivenom without pet insurance can cost thousands of dollars. For your best bet, call the 24-hour emergency vet ahead of time to see if they have the right medicine available and then get there right away. "They’re going to have antivenom if anyone does," Dr. Boyer advised.
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