Snake first aid

birds

After moving to Goa we found there are lots of snakes in the garden of our rented office and found even two inside the house. As such this does not bother me much but one of the employees seems to think he is Steve Irwin .

So, I figured I better get hold of first aid instructions in case something goes wrong. I contacted Dr. Ian D. Simpson of the W.H.O. Snakebite Treatment Group in Tamil Nadu and asked for advice. He was very understanding and wrote back:

“Your 'Steve Irwin' character should fill you with dread! India has no shortage of amateur expert snake catchers/handlers and also the highest mortality rate from snakebites in the world! The two are not entirely unconnected!!!!”

He was also so very friendly to send me elaborate information of which I compiled a first aid card which hangs now in our office. For those interested, I have attached this first aid card and a photo given by Dr. Simpson.

Over-cautious? Perhaps, but last month one of my puppy dogs was killed by what was probably a cobra. We were at the vet within 10 minutes of the attack but by that time her lungs and brain had already collapsed, she died 20 minutes later.

As she was still small, just four months, she died within an hour. Human adults have more time but medical help without delay is essential. If you live in an area with snakes it might also be worth checking out which doctor/hospital keeps anti-venom as not all do.

By the way, in case you wonder, this incident happened four months after I contacted Dr. Simpson.

Attached Thumbnails

 

Attached Files

Indian Snakebite First Aid Treatment Protocol short.pdf (14.6 KB, 154 views)

Prashant.M

Thanks for the info birds. Hopefully I might never have to use it.

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abracax

It's good to know how to deal with snake bites, because if you go into an Indian hospital there's a good chance they won't know. A friend of mine was bitten by a Russel's viper (during his own Steve Irwin - or was it Rob Breddle - act) near Bangalore and when he went to the doctor to get antivenene they tried to do make him follow a course of treatment that would have cost him his life and/or arm! He actually had to leg it out of the hospital to escape.

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Sama

great info! thanks for posting it.

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ananda2193

Thank's for that. Now I'm more paranoid about snakes now.

I know Indias full of them, but I never really thought about snakes when in India, though I did see a cobra at Kausani once.

Now I'll be more cautious where I walk and put my hands. Saw a show on the National Geographic Channel about snakes in India. Appearantly theres a lot in Mysore.There's a motor rickshaw driver there who is famous there for catching snakes in peoples homes and returning them to the wild. They call him "Snake Sham" or something like that.

Nick-H

Very useful post, Birds, thank you

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Fionabog

I live in rural South Australia, where we have LOTS & LOTS of snakes! just wonderful, and our medical advice is identical. I wondered if it might have been different, given that different species of snakes have different toxins.
Apparently in australia, since they started the compression bandage technique nobody who has used it, has died.
One idiot, a couple of kilometres down the road from me, found an injured brown snake (1 of the deadliest in the world, and usually aggressive), on the road, and decided to move it off. Needless to say, it was one of the last things he did. He wasn't apparently sure he'd been bitten, and didn't get help.
I have a SIamese cat, who has a fetish for snakes, and has been bitten three times in the past year, despite being grounded to the house! the local vet loves us.