[pct-l] Snake Bite Kit.

[brick at webrooster.com (brick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx)]

At 06:14 AM 5/23/03, David Davis wrote:
>You don't need a lot of snakes to get bitten.


(Note to Ben Schifrin, MD, If any of this is wrong, please correct.)

As far as rattle snakes go (except maybe the Mojave Green):

The best treatment for a snake bite is to use a Sawyer Extractor
http://www.sawyerproducts.com/Extractor/

If you are alone and any significant distance to a trail head, do the 
following.
Clean the bite area
Apply the Sawyer Extractor until the wound quits draining (you can probably 
remove 40% -60% of the venom).
If bit on an extremity, apply an Ace type bandage between the bite and your 
torso just tight enough to provide a comfortable compression: Note: for 
North Amercian snakes, this may increase the likelyhood of 
concentrating  the damage to the extremity (thus increasing the severity in 
the locality)
Get your camp ready. Including water within easy reach.
Sit tight. You probably won't be going anywhere for a few days. Physical 
activity will only make things worse by increasing circulation, and you 
probably won't be able to go far anyway.

If you are with someone else, do the same, only send them for rescue. The 
only treatment is anti venom.

Up to half of rattle snake bites are "dry" i.e., the snake does not inject 
venom. Venom is for killing food: and you are NOT food.

Even if the snake does inject venom, most rattlesnake bites are not fatal 
even without treatment, though you will get quite sick and have a nasty 
wound because the venom will digest the flesh in the bite area. If you were 
bit on an extremity, you may loose that extremity.

The Mojave Green rattlesnake's venom is a neuro-toxin. The chance of 
survival is less.

Here is a good list of symptoms:
http://www.cobras.org/snakebite.html

Here is a good description of treatment
http://www.xmission.com/~gastown/herpmed/snbite.htm

Mojave Green
http://www.wildherps.com/species/C.scutulatus.html