How to Tell the Difference Between Serious and Deadly Snakebites

Because snakebites may be severe, and in some cases life-threatening, they must be treated as quickly as possible. Even without antivenom medication, however, the vast majority of patients undergo complete recovery.

 

 

 Most of the time, dangerous snakes will bite in self-defense and inject no venom at all — these kind of bites are known as dry bites. Other possibilities include antivenom not being needed if a potentially dangerous snake injects just a little quantity of venom – far too small to do major harm – and the presence of antivenom being unnecessary. Before administering antivenom to a snakebite victim, doctors must do a comprehensive examination of the patient’s condition.

 

 

Violent Snakebites vs. Serious Injuries

Mambas, cobras, the Rinkhals, the Puff Adder, the Gaboon Adder, the Boomslang, and the Twig Snake are just a few of the 173 species of snakes found in southern Africa that may be considered dangerous. 

 

 

 

The Mozambique Spitting Cobra is responsible for the great majority of severe bites, followed by the Puff Adder, the Stiletto Snake, and the Rhombic Night Adder, all of which are deadly. The Cape Cobra and Black Mamba attacks are responsible for the vast majority of snakebite fatalities in southern Africa.

 

 

Those who are taken to the hospital as quickly as possible following a snakebite have the best chance of surviving. In most cases, antivenom is not required in more than 15% of snakebite cases.

 

 

 

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The Best Way To Avoid Getting Bitten – Keep snakes to yourself and treat them with care at all times. Never handle any snakes, no matter how little. Adult poisonous snakes are very deadly, but juvenile venomous snakes are much more so.

• – Never interfere with a snake that seems to be dead, since many snakes have the unfortunate tendency of seeming dead when intimidated or afraid, just to lash out when the chance presents itself.
• – If you want to spend a lot of time outside, dress in boots and sturdy pants or jeans. The lower leg should be protected with snake gaiters, which should be worn by hunters, hikers, birders, and anglers.
• – Over logs and rocks can only be done with caution. Often, snakes may bask in the sun while partly hidden behind a log or rock.
• – Never put your hands in a location where they can’t be seen, particularly while mountaineering. It is known that Berg Adders like to sunbathe on narrow ledges and will bite if a human hand arrives abruptly near by.
• – Camping or accessing amenities in the wilderness should never be done without shoes or without a lantern. During the evening hours, many snakes become active, and slow-moving snakes such as the Puff Adder are easily trampled on.

If you come across a snake, do not attempt to kill or trap it. Rock-throwing and snake-shooting are both signs of impending catastrophe.

 

 Also, do not try to capture a snake with barbecue tongs, pin it, or grasp it behind the head with your fingers. You will almost surely be bitten if you attempt to hold certain snakes, such as the Stiletto Snake, securely behind the back of the head.

 

 

Instead of attempting to trap or kill the snake in an emergency situation, snap a picture of it from a safe distance to aid in the identification of the snake.

 

 

 

Affects of a Snakebite

From bite to bite, the symptoms of a snakebite might be quite different. Considering how rapidly many snakebites occur, victims are often unsure whether or not they have been bitten. A bite mark is seldom the typical two-fang penetration mark; instead, a bite mark is often from a single fang and may be little more than a scrape with some blood.

 

 

 

Some of the following signs and symptoms may be experienced by a snakebite victim.

• – An acute searing sensation that is followed by swelling that goes up the leg and may impact the lymph glands (the Puff Adder and the Mozambique Spitting Cobra).
• – Dizziness, trouble swallowing and breathing, drooping eyelids, and nausea are all possible side effects of this medication (the mambas and the Cape Cobra).
• – Breathing through one’s nose, minor wounds, and then bleeding from the mucous membranes followed by significant internal bleeding after a few of hours (the Boomslang and the Twig Snake).
• Nausea, discomfort, and trouble breathing are common symptoms of shock.
• Don’t do anything if you are bitten by a snake… NEVER attempt to cut or suction the poison from an insect bite!
• Snail venom adheres to local tissue extremely fast and is absorbed into the lymphatic system, thus suctioning only removes a little amount of the venom from the body. Secondary infection may occur as a result of wound cutting.
• – Do not use any kind of electric shock treatment on yourself or anybody around you.
• Snake venom is not neutralized by electric shocks.

 

A tourniquet should not be used.

Tourniquets, whether arterial or venous, are not recommended in the majority of bites since venom is first transmitted mostly via the lymphatic system rather than through veins in most cases. Using a tourniquet in the aftermath of a snakebite seems to have little evidence of effectiveness.

 

 

 

Applying freezing or hot water, lotions or potions is strictly prohibited. –

If you must clean the bitten site, use cold water and a sterile gauze bandage. Otherwise, let the bite site alone. Snake venom is not destroyed by boiling water. It is not permissible to provide alcohol to the victim.

 

 

 

As a first aid measure, do not provide antivenom.

Whenever antivenom is necessary, it has to be administered intravenously by a medical professional in a hospital setting and in considerable volumes. Occasionally, patients can have an allergic response to antivenom, which can result in anaphylaxis, which can be fatal if not treated swiftly.

 

 

 

 

 

How to Deal with a Snakebite in the First 48 Hours 

— Ensure that the person is sent to a hospital as quickly as feasible and in a secure way.
Ensure you have the phone numbers of the nearest hospital (with a trauma unit) and ambulance service memorized on your mobile phone and call ahead to alert them of the emergency situation.

 

 

 In addition to the navigational App Waze, you can search for hospitals or doctors by typing in the word or phrase. The nearest facilities and their contact information will be shown instantly. ASI Snakes is a free application available for iOS and Android devices.

 

 

 

 

Continue to maintain complete calm and silence on the victim’s part

In the lymphatic system, movement accelerates the spread of venom. If possible, immobilize the sufferer and place her down before transporting her to the nearest hospital (or arranging for her transfer). Attempt to raise the injured leg just above the level of your heart.

 

Discard any jewelry or clothes that is too tight.

Removing tight jewelry, clothes, and shoes should be done immediately if you are bitten on the hand, an arm, a foot, or a lower leg. This includes bangles, bracelets, watches, anklets, and any other tight jewelry or clothing.

 

Bandages should be used to provide pressure.

You might consider putting pressure bandages to the afflicted leg if you are more than an hour or two from the nearest medical facility. However, this should only be done in cases of suspected Black Mamba or Cape Cobra bites. Smart Bandages are discussed in further detail in the next section:

IMPORTANT Do not lose critical time applying a pressure bandage; instead, transfer the patient to the nearest hospital that has a trauma unit and, if feasible, apply the pressure bandage while the patient is being transported there.

 

 

 

 

Bandages Under Pressure

While the sufferer is being brought to the hospital, pressure immobilisation may be effective in preventing the spread of venom. Instead of spitting cobra or adder bites where severe swelling is expected, it should be used for bites from the Cape Cobra and Black Mamba, which are more aggressive. 

 

Although the goal here is not to slow down blood flow, it is to exert pressure on the lymphatic system, which will, in turn, delay the pace at which venom is absorbed.

 

 

It takes some practice to properly apply a pressure bandage, and getting the pressure just right takes some practice. Smart bandages are recommended in this situation.

 

A pressure bandage should be applied to the bite site after immobilizing the limb with a hand and applying hard pressure to the bite location as soon as possible.

n 50 and 70 millimeters of mercury on a blood pressure monitor. The use of a Smart bandage makes this conceivable, however using a conventional crepe bandage makes it almost difficult to do.

• – However, as previously stated, it is unlikely to result in any negative consequences in the case of a Black Mamba or Cape Cobra bite without appropriate training.
• – To immobilize a bite on the foot or leg, splint it and tie the two legs together to achieve the greatest amount of immobilization possible after applying the pressure bandage appropriately.
• – To immobilize a bite on a hand, straighten the arm and, after the immobilisation bandages have been placed, splint the straightened arm to keep it immobile. Follow-up checks for the existence of a pulse below the bandage should be performed after it is applied. Every 10-15 minutes, take your pulse. It is necessary to remove the pressure bandage and reevaluate the necessity for it if the pulse is not felt.

In most cases, pressure bandages should be left in place until such time as the patient is admitted to a hospital, and they should only be removed by a medical professional when the patient is admitted to the hospital.

 

 

With the introduction of new Smart Bandages, which have printed rectangles that must be stretched until the rectangles form perfect squares, it is now much simpler to apply pressure bandages correctly than it was before.