First Aid

The first thing is not to panic. Relax as much as possible. Surviving a venomous snake bite if alone in the wilderness may to some extent be a matter of luck (snakes sometimes withhold venom so as not to waste it, and not all venomous snake bites are fatal in any case), but if you have been bitten when alone you must do the best you can. The following advice is adapted from Medline Plus:

1. Keep calm. Restrict movement, and keep the affected area below heart level to reduce the flow of venom. Clearly this may a problem if you are alone because the only way you can get to an emergency room is to hike out.

2. You should carry a pump suction device (such as that made by Sawyer. See related link below). Follow the manufacturer's directions. The old cutting of cross shaped cuts in the wound and sucking advice has long been discredited.

3. Remove any rings or constricting items because the affected area may swell. Create a loose splint to help restrict movement of the area.

4. If the area of the bite begins to swell and change color, the snake was probably poisonous.

6. Get medical help right away. Obviously if you are alone you must walk out with the injury, unless you can contact someone by cell phone (which usually doesn't work in the wilderness) or satellite phone (and most folks cannot afford them).

* DO NOT apply a tourniquet. * DO NOT apply cold compresses to a snake bite. * DO NOT cut into a snake bite with a knife or razor. * DO NOT try to suck out the venom by mouth. * DO NOT take stimulants or pain medications. * DO NOT take anything by mouth. * DO NOT raise the site of the bite above the level of your heart. We know some folks like to be alone in the woods with their thoughts, but it's generally unwise. You should always use the buddy system. Then if one of you is hurt the other may be able to render first aid, treat for shock and go for help. If alone your chances of being seriously or fatally injured in the wilderness are multiplied many times. Snakes are really the least of your worries. The biggest hazard is simply getting lost. But, you are alone and you have to play the hand you're dealt ...

Experts in woodcraft say that the first first aid for snake bite is simply prevention. Any snake may bite if surprised or handled. Not all are poisonous, but any snake bite can become infected. Therefore try not to frighten the neighbors. When walking in the woods you should try to be as aware of your surroundings as you are when walking in the city. In town, you are cautious of cars and bicycles and other pedestrians and you don't walk into dark alleys. You are mentally attuned. It's harder to be mentally attuned in the wilderness because you don't live there, but you can learn.

Snake identification is important (see related link). All pit vipers (most venomous snakes in North America are pit vipers) have a very distinctive triangular shaped head, like an arrowhead. If you see a snake with a head wider than its neck, keep well away from it, but do not succumb to the instinct to kill it. No snake wants to bite you for the simple reason that it cannot eat you. Snakes only bite much larger animals when threatened. Snakes are a very important part of the ecology. They help keep us from being up to our eyebrows in small rodents, (which represent a much greater threat to us but that's another article). Snakes are actually the good guys!

One group of venomous snakes found in North America are the coral snakes. They do not have triangular heads, but they can be identified by distinctive banding, where a yellow band touches a red band. Old timers say, "Red and yellow kill a fellow." There are many snakes that mimic coral snakes to warn off predators, but most are harmless. The obvious thing is to handle no snake. The snake doesn't like it, harmless or not, and the snake has the right to be left alone.

Try never to surprise a snake or any other animal. Snakes are cold blooded and so are often sluggish in the morning, waiting for the sun to come up and warm them so they can hunt. They may be found, and surprised, in burrows, cracks in rocks and under logs. An old woodsman's trick is never to step over a log or large rock on the trail. Step up onto the obstruction and look down before proceeding, so that if a snake is sunning himself with his back to the log you won't barge right into his bite range.

Rattlesnakes, pit vipers found only in North America, are equipped with rattles to warn off predators, and they think of you as a predator. If they sense you are around, they will emit a buzzing rattle before wasting precious venom on something they can't eat. If you hear a buzzing sound, pay attention. It may be a rattlesnake trying to warn you off. This is a really neighborly thing of the snake to do. Snakes are not evil killers. They just want to be left alone like everyone else.

Below are a few related links to helpful sites, especially one for pictures of venomous snakes you may encounter in your area.

SAMPLE are the key letters for:

Signs and Symptoms - what clues does the casualty show of what might be wrong. For example swelling around the ankle may indicate a fracture (among other things)

Allergies - is the casualty allergic to anything. Remove anything which is causing an allergic reaction.

Medication - is the casualty on any medication? how long for? have they taken it recently?

Past medical history - has this hap-penned before? it may be a repeat problem

Last meal - useful to tell the ambulance crew in case an anaesthetic is needed later

Event history - what caused the injury/accident? sometimes called the mechanism of injury