How to Treat a Snake Bite
Knowing how to treat or administer first aid to snake bites are important if you are planning an outdoor excursion. Learn how to treat a snake bite properly and quickly using these steps.
Tools
Working cellphone
Soap
Water
Bandage
Universal protective gear (optional)
Procedure
Make sure that the snake is no longer around or else it might cause more injury to the people present.
Clean your hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling the injury. If you have universal protective gear at hand, put them on before handling the injury.
Call 911 immediately or a way to transport the victim to the nearest hospital.
If possible, position the bitten body part below the heart level.
Wash the area gently with soap and warm water.
Remove any clothing or jewelry surrounding the affected area, as this may cause irritation that will make the injured area swell.
If you don’t think the victim will receive any professional medical attention within 30 minutes, get a bandage and wrap it around the area two to four inches away from the bite wound, nearer to the heart. Don’t tight it too much that it will end up blocking blood flow. A good rule of thumb is to wrap the bandage tightly, but loose enough to slip your thumb under without much struggle.
Keep the patient well-hydrated and calm. Panicking makes the heart pump blood faster, which you don’t want because it means the poison will also spread faster.
Try to get the description of the snake that bit the victim, to know what kind of anti-venom will be needed once you get to the hospital.
Evacuate the victim immediately.
What Not to Do
There are a lot of false notions floating around when it comes to treating snake bites. Here are some things that you shouldn’t do:
Don’t apply ice on the snake bite.
Don’t give medication or alcohol to the victim.
Don’t cut the snake bite to make it bigger.
Don’t orally suck out the snake bite.
Don’t attempt to find the snake.
Observing safety measures like using tall rubber boots and avoiding tall grasses goes a long way in preventing snake bites.
If this article interested you, you may want to learn more in How to Catch a Snake.