Snake Bites?

[WileECoyote]

What should someone do if they get snake bit by a snake you don't see and can't identify during a hike? Should you start back or call the rangers or just ignore it until you have symptoms?

[GPER]

I don't think they recommend snake bit kits anymore due to the chance of cutting a vain. The last I heard and that was on tv that snake and spider bites the area should be wrapped to slow circulation and get help. Something that should be researched.

[Lightfoot]

Don't cut and suck like they used to tell you to do. Stay calm to keep the heart rate down (slows the spread of the venom) and get to a hospital as quickly as you can.

[failghe]

Originally Posted by Lightfoot

Don't cut and suck like they used to tell you to do. Stay calm to keep the heart rate down (slows the spread of the venom) and get to a hospital as quickly as you can.

I agree. I would try to call for help either the park ranger or 911. If you have a GPS you can give them your coordinates. If you just try to hike out you may be in trouble.

[Newanderthal]

examine the wound immediately. If there are two round puncture marks (fangs) and the presence of a severe burning sensation (battery acid injected into your skin) then you've experienced a venomous bite. Stay calm, and seek out a hospital.

DO NOT apply a tournaquet. Most snake venom is necrotic, which means it is designed to damage living tissue. If you prevent it from spreading, it will cause more severe damage to a concentrated area, causing permanent damage to your muscles. Allowing the venom to spread effects a larger area, but the damage is far less severe.

A non-venomous snakebite will look like a v-shaped scratch. If the snakebite is a mild itch, then you have nothing to worry about. It's when there is severe pain (very bad wasp sting) and swelling that you have cause for alarm.

[GPER]

Treating Snake Bites
First Aid for Snake Bites - How to Treat a Snake Bite
Snake bites: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

This one seams to be about the best
Snake Bites

Here is the Sawyer Extractor they talk about
Sawyer Extractor, - Google Product Search

[Camoguy]

Wow! That's pretty comprehensive GPER. Thanks for the references. I have never been bitten by a snake and I hope I never am. But I do want to be ready just in case. When you are out in the wilderness you never know what you are going to run into.

[campclose]

Eeek, snakes! These are some great tips here for dealing with snake bites. I hope to never have to use them. I wouldn't even know how to deal with a snake bite, but now I have some clue. Thanks!!

[BigBackyard]

So the question becomes-what does the hospital do about a snake bite from an unidentified snake? How can they identify the anti-venom to administer?

[paloma]

Thanks for the comprehensive links, GPER! It gives me some ideas on what to do and what not to do just in case we encounter such an accident while camping.