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Snake Bites


tcripp

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Roy and Gage would have taken the scalpel out of the OB kit, make an incision between the bite marks, and sucked out the poison. If I remember correct I think there was an episode where Gage got bit, had to treat himself, and ride to the hospital on top of the rescue truck for some reason.

It does vary from snake to snake, elevate the effected body part, start an IV, transport.

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This link is from Medline.

Great info. Shows all the symptoms per snake type

The best phone numbers or resources you can have are the national poison control number and the number to the hosptial nearest you that has snake bite capability.

I have had a single snake bite patient in the ambulance and it was a copperhead bite. We transported the patient to the ER, cool compresses on the bite, elevated the extremity and kept the patient calm. It was a moderate envenomation from a baby copperhead (they give all their venom in a true bite) and the hand by the time we got to the er was starting to turn black and blue. We had a 45 minute transport. Thsi was before we had the widely available helicopters that we have today.

The patient ended up with 2 fingers removed and compartment syndrome in her hand. Needed decompression. Spent 9 days in the hospital and went home alive.

Here's the link

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000031.htm

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It was a moderate envenomation from a baby copperhead (they give all their venom in a true bite)

That was something else I was going to mention in my post, baby snakes are just as venomous as the adults from the time they hatch (after their fangs have hardened).

Snakes also have several sets of fangs in 'reserve' in the event they break one or lose one. they just drop in place and require a few hours to harden, then it's back to 'business as usual' for them.

Edited to correct grammatical error

Edited by Lone Star
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I've encountered venomous snakes on wilderness missions. Rattlers tend to leave without a fight, they let you know they're around, possibly pissed off, but usually just slither away. Copperheads, on the other hand, they're mean bastards, and will stay and play, and usually, you don't know they're in your presence.

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