So I had my venomous snake bite training

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  • longbow

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    I had my snake bite training last week. If you live out in the sticks, you better hope the snake doesn't give you a full dose.

    Also I was shocked at the estimated number of venomous snakes they think are in the state as pets.

    i guess i should share what they told me....


    -Don't suck out the poison
    -Don't cut off circulation to bite
    -Don't make an incision to try to drain the poison

    -stay calm and keep pulse down
    -get to a hospital as soon as possible
    -keep the bite site below your level of your heart
    -you most likely will get 15 to 25 vials of anti-venom before you get better
    -try to kill the snake and bring it with you to the hospital
    -if you can't kill the snake tell someone or write down the type of snake within the first 10 minutes, because after that, you most likely will have a difficult time telling them what happened
     
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    seedubs1

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    So.....what'd you learn?

    What I've gathered:
    1) Don't try to suck out the poison, cut off circulation to the limb, or make an incision to try to drain the poison like the western movies say you should.
    2) Get your pulse down and be calm.
    3) Get to a hospital as soon as possible.

    Basically, all I've gathered is.....get to a hospital as soon as possible and that other than that, there's not much you can do.
     

    BigBoxaJunk

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    Basically, all I've gathered is.....get to a hospital as soon as possible and that other than that, there's not much you can do.

    That's what I've thought also, along with identifying the snake so they can give you the right anti venom. I'm thinking I've read recommendations to kill the snake, if it can be done safely and quickly, and put the body in a safe container and bring it with you if you can't ID it.
     

    Cameramonkey

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    So the lone ranger and Tonto are out at camp. The Lone Ranger goes behind a bush and squats to do his business. Too bad a rattlesnake is also back there and bites him on the butt.

    The Lone Ranger yells for Tonto and tells him to ride into town and ask the doctor what to do.

    Tonto finds the doctor, and the doctor says "you need to suck out the poison, or he will die."
    Tonto returns quickly to the Lone Ranger and the lone ranger asks "what did the doctor say?"
    Tonto says "Doctor say you going to die."

    /hijack.
     

    SMiller

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    Chances are if you get bit you are probably off the grid, the best thing you do do is install a GPS tracker on your phone so when you call 911 you can give them your GPS.
     

    spencer rifle

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    I disagree. The percentage of people who take baths AND drown is I would guess far lower than the percentage of people who get bit by a venomous snake AND die.
    That wasn't the point. Your risk of death by venomous snake bite is significantly lower, partly because your risk of encountering a such a snake is very low. If you are including people who take baths, I get to include anyone who walks outdoors.
     

    KJW

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    About 25% of venomous snake bites are "dry," meaning they didn't inject venom. So just because you've been bit doesn't mean you're envenomated.
    Besides keeping the bitten body part lower than heart level, it's a good idea to put a constricting band of some sort a few inches proximal to the bite site, which is most commonly on an extremity. This IS NOT a tourniquet! It's job is to reduce venous return from the extremity thereby reducing the amount of venom getting into your central circulation. If you are envenomated, as evidence by extreme pain at the bite site, you should periodically move the constricting band proximally (ie. up the extremity) keeping it a few inches ahead of the swelling. If you are far from a hospital and there's a prolonged transport time, it would also be a good idea to record the time of the bite and the time of application and movement of the constricting band. Just as some bites are dry, some bites inject a little venom and others a lot of venom. If you have to move the constricting band every 15 minutes to keep it ahead of the pain and swelling you've had a serious bite. If you have a pen you can just write the time on the skin adjacent to the constricting band.
     

    SMiller

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    About 25% of venomous snake bites are "dry," meaning they didn't inject venom. So just because you've been bit doesn't mean you're envenomated.
    Besides keeping the bitten body part lower than heart level, it's a good idea to put a constricting band of some sort a few inches proximal to the bite site, which is most commonly on an extremity. This IS NOT a tourniquet! It's job is to reduce venous return from the extremity thereby reducing the amount of venom getting into your central circulation. If you are envenomated, as evidence by extreme pain at the bite site, you should periodically move the constricting band proximally (ie. up the extremity) keeping it a few inches ahead of the swelling. If you are far from a hospital and there's a prolonged transport time, it would also be a good idea to record the time of the bite and the time of application and movement of the constricting band. Just as some bites are dry, some bites inject a little venom and others a lot of venom. If you have to move the constricting band every 15 minutes to keep it ahead of the pain and swelling you've had a serious bite. If you have a pen you can just write the time on the skin adjacent to the constricting band.

    That is good info, only thing to add is SOME snakes you are to use constricting bands on and others not.

    I work on a very large cattle ranch in Florida and spend entire days without seeing anyone and hours from the nearest road so I take this a little more seriously, even a small screwup could cost me. Damn hogs, coyotes, and buzzards will clean a entire cow up overnight, my 160lbs ass wouldn't last but a few hours...
     

    CavMedic

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    When I lived in New Mexico I killed any rattler that was seen in our around our home. The risk of having them around with little ones playing outside far outweighs the benefits. Plus, there were plenty of bull snakes that picked up the slack.
     

    kolob10

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    Many years ago, we would see a copperhead in near proximity of the house on a weekly basis. One of my sons was bitten on the finger by one in the chicken house. Fortunately, only one fang injected any venom. The other fang slid off his knuckle and the venom remained on the surface of his finger from that fang. Short stay in the hospital and some lingering discomfort was the result. We had seen a couple timber rattlers near the house previous to this incident. Fortunate it was a copperhead and not a timber rattler. As the years have passed, we see maybe two copperheads a year on the home place. Have not seen a rattler for 10 years. I hunt out west and take care when entering areas with rattlers. Had a few close calls but never bitten. Vigilance is the key while fear spoils the fun.
     
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