First Aid and snake bite information + links

[Gem in I]

Fizz you are certainly right there on a couple of levels, a brownie got me in 2004 living in nth.adelaide the neighbours on either side about an acre away so mice plagues sometimes = happy browns, we crossed paths no less than 10 times a summer. First bite was the bottom of my sneaker at the heel getting thudded taking shopping in from the car, baby snake lucky step phew.Second one I was mowing between car and shed felt 5-6 taps on around my ankle looked down and he was going for it before I even took the next step they are quicker in attack mode than get me outer here mode.
Through jeans and football socks it managed to get a fang in so I thought it's done and I'm an hour and a half from the hospital so however far from there I make it I might as well be clean so yep I had a shower and as tadj wrote a big no no, they had to test my urine which takes a lot longer for I.D of snake they have different anti venoms it's not one size fits all.
Just so happens the hospital didn't have any anti-venom. A women was also bitten that same week and apparently it's quite expensive and has a very short shelf life,no fault of anyone's except the snake so why am I still here? It didn't pump any venom in again PHEWWWW.
Legend has it though the guy down the local could only have half glasses of schooner because he had been bitten a number of times he doesn't even go to hospital anymore but he's nervous system is pretty shot. So if it does happen don't let stupid thoughts race your head, stay dirty, remember the writtings of the two mentioned and go the gaiters.
Just so happens I look quite the white knight in pvc stockings.

 

[Smoky bandit]

And dont forget to remove gaiters or clothing after a snake bite and wash thourally because snake venom can be absorbed thru the skin .So dont just keep on detecting or touch affected material

Just dont wash the venom from your skin if you get bit....leave it there and apply preasure bandage...Dr will take a swab of bit area to test ...and determine what type of snake bit you....so they can administer right anti venom quickly..

 

[rogeressig]

Good to keep updated with the latest findings.
I can't post the link to it yet as I'm a new member here, so I'll paste in some of it.

'The Australian Snakebite Project is the most comprehensive ever carried out, involved over 1500 patients and collated snakebite data from the past 10 years (2005-15).'

Staying in the area after an attack can be dangerous and recent advances in medication mean we can now treat any snakebite with a generic polyvalent anti-venom, so identification is no longer necessary.

Do NOT wash the area of the bite or try to suck out the venom. It is extremely important to retain traces of venom for use with venom identification kits.

Do NOT incise or cut the bite, or apply a high tourniquet. Cutting or incising the bite won't help. High tourniquets are ineffective and can be fatal if released.

Do bandage firmly, splint and immobilise to stop the spread of venom. All the major medical associations recommend slowing the spread of venom by placing a folded pad over the bite area and then applying a firm bandage. It should not stop blood flow to the limb or congest the veins. Only remove the bandage in a medical facility, as the release of pressure will cause a rapid flow of venom through the bloodstream.

Do NOT allow the victim to walk or move their limbs. Use a splint or sling to minimise all limb movement. Put the patient on a stretcher or bring transportation to the patient.

Do seek medical help immediately as the venom can cause severe damage to health or even death within a few hours.

 

[Jaros]

tHANKS ROGERESSIG.

 

[Rusty_G]

Thankyou very much for posting this Roger. :Y:
Valuable information that could make all the difference!

 

[Simmo]

If I may add, something I found out during my treatment of a 7 year old for a Tiapan bite, is do not raise the limb.... immobilise and splint yes, but do not raise.
Add a couple of these to your kit... https://www.statpacksplus.com.au/product/smart-snake-bandage/

 

[Lanky]

all good info,if you have enough bandage go around the bite site a few times first, then to the very extremity inclu fingers and toes as lymph node are there also then all the way to as high on the limb as you can go. If only the one bandage get the limb covered and don't stress about several wraps around the bite site. How did the 7y/o fair simmo? Any ongoing issues?

 

[LONEWOLF]

I was looking forward to a new treatment or something. ..... Nothing really has changed in the 'on site' Treatment side of things.... Hope the 7yo is doing Ok....

LW.... :rainbow:

 

[Simmo]

How did the 7y/o fair simmo? Any ongoing issues?

Mate I was unaware at the time as the kid just bolted out of the bush screaming he'd been bitten. I asked him if he knew by what and he didn't see the snake so I simply acted as if it was a worse case scenario. (bloody lucky as it turned out!)
Anyway we were at a 50th b'day party out bush, and NO ONE apart from us had a snake bite bandage.
The ambo's took him away to the local bush hospital. In the morning I asked the party host, 'how did the boy and his pop go?' Ol'mate says 'Didnt ya hear the chopper last night? They flew him to Cairns 'coz the venom tested as Tiapan.......' 'His pop wants to buy you a beer..!'

Apparently there's some sort of scale of 'invenomation' and the boy had a fairly low count, but still because of the i.d. had to go to a major hospital.
He's fine now.

 

[Rusty_G]

Wow, I reckon a couple of beers might be order hahaa...what do they say 'fortune fVors the prepared?' Well done and glad to know he got on alright...dang Taipan of a snakes!

 

[BigWave]

Well done Simmo :Y:
That's a lesson to us all.
I have a roll of the bandage in my car, and one in my backpack, but it seems that everyone's ideas on correct bandaging differs.
Do you start at the bite and work down the limb then up again to well above it, or start well above the bite and work all the way down? I would have thought starting above to staunch the venom flow to the essential organs.

 

[7.62marksman]

last year on first aid course this was the teaching but they seen to change from time to time

With a broad (minimum 7.5cm wide) elastic bandage such as setopress, start at the toes (or hand if bitten on the arm) andwrap the bandage very firmly up the entire limb. If the bandage does not cover the entire limb, start with a new bandage at the point the last bandaged finished until the entire limb is covered.The compression bandage should be firm enough to reduce lymphatic movement but not constrict blood flow. Ensure you leave the tips of the toes/fingers
out to monitor circulation.

The compression bandage should be firm enough to reduce lymphatic movement but not constrict blood flow. Ensure you leave the tips of the toes/fingers out to monitor circulation.

 

[Mackka]

Hey fellas all good info. I remember years ago, that we had to throw out all the bandages, bandaids, etc as they came from India and contained hair bacteria, some of you may remember.
Be very careful about cuts and covering them. My mother, God Bless Her Soul, cut herself on a metal fixture and tore her leg. As she was 90 at the time she grabbed the closest thing, a tea towel (used) to cover the wound and ended up with blood poisoning.
Hope the boy is well.
Stay Safe Everyone
Mackka

 

[7.62marksman]

good post mackka
first thing you grab is the well used hankie out of your pocket
makes you think twice now

 

[ken2m]

For a snake bite the last thing you should be thinking/worrying about at the time is sterile bandages, just stop the venom flow and worry about infection later, I carry about 8 compression bandages in the car at all times and sterile pads as well.

7.62 s post is the method demonstrated at an annual first aid refresher carried out December 2016. Ken.

 

[Simmo]

Also try to remember to mark the bite site on the bandage with a texta or something.

 

[Tathradj]

Very Important thing to do.
I did that about 20 years ago and was highly commended for it.
Circle with 2 x marks if you can.
What it means is the medics can go straight to the bite site without
having to release all the bandages to find it.

 

[peterau]

Hi could anybody offer advice on the best way to handle the following scenario. Snake bit, I'm on my own 30 to 45 minutes drive from outback hospital, 200-300 metres from my car, Have epirb, compression bandages and sat phone on my harness. Whats the best way to proceed

 

[Lanky]

Reliable information is that with immediate and good compression/immobilisation/positioning of a limb you should survive to hospital/for many many hours - there are lots of variables. Even more reliable information is if you don't follow the correct steps you can die very rapidly. Once bitten, get safe, in the shade if its close by and follow steps in previous threads. Set your epirb off and wait for the ambo's or helo and if sat ph or mobile reception they might even bring the polyvalent antivenine.

 

[mbasko]

Get away from the snake & preferably in the shade.
Keep calm. Use compression bandages on bite area & keep limbs as still as possible -splint bite area if possible. Use sat phone to call for help - this is your primary & direct link to help. They may ask you to set off epirb for locality assistance if you can't give a good/precise location.
Don't try to get back to your car in that scenario. The movement will only more quickly spread the venom if indeed any has been injected - keep in mind that the majority of bites are dry but without medical verification there is no way to tell until symptoms start.
This would change if you didn't have communication devices. You would need to compression bandage the area & restrict movement as much as possible but still need to attempt to get yourself to help. You really shouldn't attempt to drive at all but circumstances may dictate differently.
Bottom line a PLB as a minimum if out by yourself in remote/rural areas.
Edit: Typing as Stru posted