Fishing First Aid : Snakebites

For the adventurous angler, snakes are an inevitable encounter in the jungle path to our favourite secret fishing spot. Prevention is of course better than cure, so...

Preventing Snake Bites

1. Wear thick hiking boots and heavy pants if you are going into the jungle
2. Make a lot of noise...snakes will hear your footsteps and slither away
3. Be careful when stepping over a log or stone as snakes like to hide underneath
4. Never hike alone
5. If you see a snake, don't chase it or corner it, stay still and let it go away
6. Don't try to be the Croc Hunter and catch the snake la.

First Aid for Snake bites.

*IS NOT TO SUCK OUT THE VENOM AND TIE A TORNIQUET*

Ok now that that is out of the way, I had the priveledge of meeting Professor Struan Sutherland in Melbourne University as he gave us this lecture on venomous snake bites in Australia. The first aid is called the Pressure Immobilisation Method.

The pressure-immobilisation first aid technique was developed in the 1970's by Professor Struan Sutherland. Its purpose is to retard the movement of venom from the bite site into the circulation, thus "buying time" for the patient to reach medical care. Research with snake venom has shown that very little venom reaches the blood stream if firm pressure is applied over the bitten area and the limb is immobilised. Pressure-immobilisation was initially developed to treat snakebite, but it is also applicable to bites and stings by some other venomous creatures. It is currently recommended for most life threatening venomous bites and stings in Australia.

How to apply pressure-immobilisation first aid

Bites to the lower limb
	1. Apply a broad pressure bandage over the bite site as soon as possible. Crepe bandages are ideal, but any flexible material may be used. Clothing, towels etc may be torn into strips. Panty hose have been successfully used. Do not take off clothing, as the movement of doing so will promote the movement of venom into the blood stream. Keep the bitten limb, and the patient, still. Bandage upwards from the lower portion of the bitten limb. Even though a little venom may be squeezed upwards, the bandage will be more comfortable, and therefore can be left in place for longer if required.
	2. The bandage should be as tight as you would apply to a sprained ankle.
	3. Extend the bandage as high as possible up the limb.
	4. Apply a splint to the leg. Any rigid object may be used as a splint. e.g. spade, piece of wood or tree branch, rolled up newspapers etc.
	5. Bind it firmly to as much of the leg as possible. Keep the patient still. Lie the patient down to prevent walking or moving around.
Bites to the hand or forearm
	Bandage as much of the arm as possible, starting at the fingers. Use a splint to the elbow. Use a sling to immobilise the arm. Keep the patient still. Lie the patient down to prevent walking or moving around.
Bites to the trunk	If possible apply firm pressure over the bitten area. Do no restrict chest movement. Keep the patient still.
Bites to the head or neck	No first aid for bitten area. Keep the patient still.

Research stresses the importance of keeping the patient still. This includes all the limbs. Bring transport to the patient if possible.

DO NOT cut or excise the bitten area.

DO NOT apply an arterial tourniquet. (Arterial tourniquets, which cut off the circulation to the limb, are potentially dangerous, and are no longer recommended for any type of bite or sting in Australia.)

DO NOT wash the bitten area. The type of snake involved may be identified by the detection of venom on the skin. If the snake can be safely killed, bring it to the hospital with the victim.

Note: Even if the bitten or stung person is ill when first seen, the application of pressure-immobilisation first aid may prevent further absorption of venom from the bite or sting site during transport to hospital.

Source

Things to bring along.

1. Elastic Crepe bandage
2. Splint can be made of any piece of wood that is available
3. Brains

Snakes that inject venom use modified salivary glands. Venom is a modified form of saliva and probably evolved to aid in chemical digestion. Varying degrees of toxicity also make it useful in killing prey. During envenomation (the bite that injects venom or poison), the venom passes from the venom gland through a duct into the snake's fangs, and finally into its prey. Snake venom is a combination of numerous substances with varying effects. In simple terms, these proteins can be divided into 4 categories:

1.Cytotoxins cause local tissue damage.

2.Hemotoxins cause internal bleeding.

3.Neurotoxins affect the nervous system.

4.Cardiotoxins act directly on the heart.

Signs and symptoms of snake poisoning can be broken into a few major categories:

Local effects: Bites by vipers and some cobras (Naja and other genera) are painful and tender. They can be severely swollen and can bleed and blister. Some cobra venoms can also kill the tissue around the site of the bite.

Bleeding: Bites by vipers and some Australian elapids can cause bleeding of internal organs such as the brain or bowels. A victim may bleed from the bite site or bleed spontaneously from the mouth or old wounds. Unchecked bleeding can cause shock or even death.

Nervous system effects: Venom from elapids and sea snakes can affect the nervous system directly. Cobra (Naja and other genera) and mamba (Dendroaspis) venom can act particularly quickly by stopping the breathing muscles, resulting in death without treatment. Initially, victims may have vision problems, speaking and breathing trouble, and numbness.

Muscle death: Venom from Russell's vipers (Daboia russellii), sea snakes, and some Australian elapids can directly cause muscle death in multiple areas of the body. The debris from dead muscle cells can clog the kidneys, which try to filter out the proteins. This can lead to kidney failure.

Eyes: Spitting cobras and ringhals (cobralike snakes from Africa) can actually eject their venom quite accurately into the eyes of their victims, resulting in direct eye pain and damage.