Time to post this again (snake bites)

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Dot
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Time to post this again (snake bites)

Post by Dot »

As we approach Summer
Snake Bites in Australia
That bite of summer has well and truly come early this year and with that heat, comes snakes.
3000 bites are reported annually.
300-500 hospitalisations
2-3 deaths annually.
Average time to death is 12 hours. The urban myth that you are bitten in the yard and die before you can walk from your chook pen back to the house is a load of rubbish.
While not new, the management of snake bite (like a flood/fire evacuation plan or CPR) should be refreshed each season.
Let’s start with a
Basic overview.
There are five genus of snakes that will harm us (seriously)
Browns, Blacks, Adders, Tigers and Taipans.
All snake venom is made up of huge proteins (like egg white). When bitten, a snake injects some venom into the meat of your limb (NOT into your blood).
This venom can not be absorbed into the blood stream from the bite site.
It travels in a fluid transport system in your body called the lymphatic system (not the blood stream).
Now this fluid (lymph) is moved differently to blood.
Your heart pumps blood around, so even when you are lying dead still, your blood still circulates around the body. Lymph fluid is different. It moves around with physical muscle movement like bending your arm, bending knees, wriggling fingers and toes, walking/exercise etc.
Now here is the thing. Lymph fluid becomes blood after these lymph vessels converge to form one of two large vessels (lymphatic trunks)which are connected to veins at the base of the neck.
Back to the snake bite site.
When bitten, the venom has been injected into this lymph fluid (which makes up the bulk of the water in your tissues).
The only way that the venom can get into your blood stream is to be moved from the bite site in the lymphatic vessels. The only way to do this is to physically move the limbs that were bitten.
Stay still!!! Venom can’t move if the victim doesn’t move.
Stay still!!
Remember people are not bitten into their blood stream.
In the 1980s a technique called Pressure immobilisation bandaging was developed to further retard venom movement. It completely stops venom /lymph transport toward the blood stream.
A firm roll bandage is applied directly over the bite site (don’t wash the area).
Technique:
Three steps: keep them still
Step 1
Apply a bandage over the bite site, to an area about 10cm above and below the bite.
Step 2:
Then using another elastic roller bandage, apply a firm wrap from Fingers/toes all the way to the armpit/groin.
The bandage needs to be firm, but not so tight that it causes fingers or toes to turn purple or white. About the tension of a sprain bandage.
Step 3:
Splint the limb so the patient can’t walk or bend the limb.
Do nots:
Do not cut, incise or suck the venom.
Do not EVER use a tourniquet
Don’t remove the shirt or pants - just bandage over the top of clothing.
Remember movement (like wriggling out of a shirt or pants) causes venom movement.
DO NOT try to catch, kill or identify the snake!!! This is important.
In hospital we NO LONGER NEED to know the type of snake; it doesn’t change treatment.
5 years ago we would do a test on the bite, blood or urine to identify the snake so the correct anti venom can be used.
BUT NOW...
we don’t do this. Our new Antivenom neutralises the venoms of all the 5 listed snake genus, so it doesn’t matter what snake bit the patient.
Read that again- one injection for all snakes!
Polyvalent is our one shot wonder, stocked in all hospitals, so most hospitals no longer stock specific Antivenins.
Australian snakes tend to have 3 main effects in differing degrees.
Bleeding - internally and bruising.
Muscles paralysed causing difficulty talking, moving & breathing.
Pain
In some snakes severe muscle pain in the limb, and days later the bite site can break down forming a nasty wound.
Allergy to snakes is rarer than winning lotto twice.
Final tips: not all bitten people are envenomated and only those starting to show symptoms above are given antivenom.
Did I mention to stay still.
Queen of the Banal & OT chatter and proud of it. If it offends you then tough titty titty bang bang.
W31r
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Re: Time to post this again (snake bites)

Post by W31r »

A couple of extra snakes that can be found in Western Australia include: Death Adders and don’t forget when swimming there are sea snakes.
The black snakes (Mulga or King Brown), brown snakes (Dugite, Western Brown),Tiger Snakes, and Taipans are all here.
Around Perth, brown snakes are found everywhere, Death Adders in the hills, brown snakes in sand and Tiger Snakes in waterways.


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Newcastle George
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Re: Time to post this again (snake bites)

Post by Newcastle George »

You are more likely to be bitten by snakes in early spring as they have not woken completely and are slow to get out of your way, so you are more likely to tread on them or walk close by. In summer they hear or sense you coming and get out of your way.

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Greynomad
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Re: Time to post this again (snake bites)

Post by Greynomad »

While bushwalking solo in a SA NP, SWMBO almost stepped on the biggest King Brown she had ever seen.
Reckons it was 3m at least. 😳
It took some time to slither off into the long grass.
It had apparently been sunning itself on the gravel path when she came around a bend…
Regards & God bless,
Ray
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Dot
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Re: Time to post this again (snake bites)

Post by Dot »

If we get into trouble for beheading a snake then why don't they get into trouble for biting us?
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T1 Terry
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Re: Time to post this again (snake bites)

Post by T1 Terry »

Unless you are between mum and her eggs, very few snakes will give you any trouble ... well unless you stand on them, corner them or try to kill them, then all bets are off and the snake is just as likely to win the fight.
Death adders are the exception, don't ever consider you could kill one, catch one unless you are trained and certainly don't try to catch the worm wriggling in a patch of leaf litter, that is the death adder's tail that it uses to catch its dinner. They are incredibly fast, they strike fast and move fast, if you plan to run away, run up hill, it will catch you on the flat or down hill.

Much better to talk about the near escapes than to try and kill them because that's a sure way to get bit .... You are an absolute giant to them, so they would much prefer to get out of your way than try to take you on, but they will if they feel threatened

T1 Terry
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