Re: Re:Rattlesnakes - People Care

["Duncan Fletcher" <dfletche@gte.net>]

Do not use ice (which is not to say that it might not be used later) -
removal may cause an enzymatic reaction and ice may also obscure signs of
its severity. If the bite is on a extremity, splint it. For those going into
the back country, there is an extractor that may of some benefit - but it
needs to be used within 10 minutes of the bite. It should also be used ONLY
IF the bite shows signs of envenomation AND ONLY IF evacuation to a medical
facility is likely to take longer than 3 hours. In that last situation,
cleaning of the would is also advised - infection is a greater threat than
the venom.

Interestingly, 20% of the rattlesnake bite patients coming to UCLA medical
center actually had no venom injected by the snake. Less than 1% of
poisonous snake bites in the US are fatal - an average of less than 15
fatalities per year. Copperheads are even less lethal. A study of 400
copperhead bites in eastern North Carolina resulted in only 2 fatalities -
both involving multiple snake bites to the head. The greatest number of
deaths occur in Florida from the eastern diamondback (primarily because of
the size of the snake and volume of venom injected).

Duncan Fletcher
dfletche@gte.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Flemmer, Linda <flemmerl@rcbhsc.wvu.edu>


[good information snipped]

>8)  Expect some pretty phenomenal swelling for about a week to ten
>days.  Ice and elevation will help the most with this.
>




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