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What To Do (and NOT to do!) If You Are Bitten by a Snake
There is a lot of incorrect information still in books and often repeated about what to do if a snake bites you. Fortunately, the correct response is straightforward enough for anyone. You probably already have the most effective and up-to-date snakebite treatment kit in your pockets right now. The only two items you really need are a car key and a cell phone. The key is to have someone drive you to the nearest qualified emergency room, and the phone is to let them know you are coming (or to call an ambulance, if needed).
The following is a list of things NOT to do in response to a snakebite:
· Do Not hang around the snake trying to kill or capture it. Take a photo if you can do so safely, but DO NOT bring the snake to the hospital. Any doctor that is competent to treat snakebite can diagnose your symptoms clinically. If your doctor cannot tell whether you were bitten by a viper or an elapid, consider transferring to a different hospital. If you must stay, you can request that your physician contact your regional Poison Control Center for a medical toxicology consultation.
· Do Not make incisions and attempt to “suck the venom out.” That only serves to damage tissue that has already been traumatized and provides a path for infection.