What should be done if bitten by a snake during hiking?

Atarah Derek

If it is suspected to be a medically significant venomous snake (e.g. a rattlesnake or copperhead), treat it as a medical emergency and follow these steps: -Remove the victim from the snake's area and have them sit down with the affected limb at or below heart level (at for copperheads; below for most rattlesnake species). -Remove any jewelry or constricting clothing from the affected limb to allow swelling to progress without cutting off circulation. -Have the victim practice breathing exercises to keep their heart rate as close to resting as possible. -Immobilize the limb as best you can. -Make note of the time of the bite and track the swelling. You can do this using a Sharpie marker on the skin. -Seek emergency medical treatment even if symptoms aren't immediately apparent. Some bites take a little while to start showing symptoms. While dry bites are quite common, you should not assume that being asymptomatic right after the bite means you've received a dry bite. -Evacuate the victim to the nearest medical facility. Ideally, this should be done by trained medical personnel, as it is best not to move the victim if it can be avoided. If you must move the victim yourself, do everything in your power to jostle them and the bitten limb as little as possible. Do NOT: -Suck on the bite -Cut the bite -Pee on the bite -Zap the bite -Apply a tourniquet -Try to capture or kill the snake for identification (in America, the bite will be treated with CroFab and/or Anavip, unless it's from a coral snake, which is easily identified as different from an American pit viper; so identifying the viper is unnecessary, and trying to capture or kill it could result in another bite)

joeparker67

Wow the answers here have no clue about venomous snake bites For one cutting is completely stupid and people have know that for more than 10 years. It does not help and sucking out venom is not going to happen A pressure bandage would only be used for Elapid bites and that’s cobras, mambas and taipans Not viper it’s like rattle snakes where they do more tissue damage. For most species If you get bit and think it’s venomous get to a hospital, don’t try and kill the snake or take it with you. If you could take a pic without getting bit agian that would be ok, but they can tell what but you by symptoms. Don’t cut some stupid x in the area, you will just cause more problems. People should not give information out that could get someone killed or cause a loss of a limb

Nicole

Depends on the snake really. A venomous snake would require a tourniquet to slow the spread of venom, but a nonvenomous snake simply needs soap and water.