Snakes - information

Submitted: Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 11:53

ThreadID: 41229 Views:2991 Replies:8 FollowUps:5

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Mike Harding

So sorry for the family of the young Sydney boy who has died after being bitten by a Brown snake.

Site Link

The following sites are, probably, the primary resource about snakes and first aid for bites in Australia - all of us who go bush should carry a couple of bandages and know how to treat snake bite:

www.avru.org/

www.usyd.edu.au/anaes/venom/snakebite.html

www.usyd.edu.au/anaes/venom/spiders.html

Mike Harding

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Reply By: Member - Toytruck (SA) - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 12:24

Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 12:24

Mike,
very good points. I feel the utmost sorrow for the young bloke and his family.

Your point about all campers and the like being educated WRT snakes is a good message. I just wonder how many people their are out there who take their families into the bush without really understanding the environment and potential dangers and how to react in an emergency.

As we can see, the reaction time with a snake bite is bugger all.

Toytruck

AnswerID: 215402

Follow Up By: Member - Blue (VIC) - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 12:36

Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 12:36

"how to react in an emergency."

This is probably the key in my eyes... we had a large gathering at our property in central vic a while back and my daughter picked up a scorpion. She promptly threw it and shrieked with pain and one of the mums, an accredited first aider, went absolutely nuts at my lack of panic. I tried to explain that there are no deadly scorpions on mainland Australia(extensively researched after finding them on our block) and the more likely(and actual as it happened) injury would be from the claw.

In the time it took this woman to spread her first aid kit all over the ground around her, scream insanely at me and make a complete spectacle of herself, it would most likely have been verging on too late for my child had it been a snake.

PANIC IS A KILLER IN AN EMERGENCY.

FollowupID: 475695

Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (Nullagine) - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 13:52

Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 13:52

didnt have any stingose handy or a few cubes of ice?- either can help for scorpian stings HOWEVER any bite or sting can bring forth an allergic reaction which is far more deadly than most envenomation events

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Follow Up By: Member - Blue (VIC) - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 14:44

Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 14:44

Yeah Davoe, while this woman was going crazy I checked the wound and headed for the esky(ice) and a teatowel. She just kept going nutso, by the end her first aid kit was useles to anyone but she did make for some light entertainment.

FollowupID: 475716

Follow Up By: Wisebyname - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 18:56

Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 18:56

Hi Mike

Very sad for the family and the young blokes friends.
Thanks for the links.

Member - Blue (VIC) posted this followup
"how to react in an emergency."
&
PANIC IS A KILLER IN AN EMERGENCY

Blue, I couldn't agree more.

ACT, DON'T REACT is another that i use.

FollowupID: 475771

Reply By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 12:33

Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 12:33

Good point Mike. It is most important to have some snake bite gear and knowledge if venturing in the bush. I noticed that our local paper quoted that he was bitten in the hand. I hope he wasn't trying to catch same which is another thing best left to the professionals.

My feelings go out to his family.

Kind regards

AnswerID: 215405

Reply By: Member - Davoe (Nullagine) - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 12:45

Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 12:45

kids are a common victim of snakes due to handling them I reeely loathe snake paranoia as it is unfounded with much more dngerous things around you
A. a canadian girl was working with us and i mentioned she must have noticed the uneducated crap spouted to her about the dangers of Austalian wildlife. She laughed and and said hell yea you guys have no idea about dangerous wildlife and showed me her digi camera short movie with a death adder in a typicl snake pose - getting the hell out of your way and then showed me pictures of here tent in the Yukon torn apart by a grizzly

AnswerID: 215409

Reply By: Member -Dodger - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 14:03

Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 14:03

I have not long ago completed a Wilderness first aid course.
Something every person that is contemplating traveling in the outback should do.
Although I held the adult 1st aid cert this course taught me a lot.
Yes and one of the major points is do not panic but think rationally then treat with with professionalism.
Children and young adults should be taught to respect snakes and not to touch in the wild as even non poisonous variety's do bite when disturbed or cornered. Most times they are just trying to get away from you.

I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.

Cheers Dodg.

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AnswerID: 215427

Reply By: Member - Barry M (NSW) - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 16:54

Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 16:54

You are quite right ,Dodger, leave them alone & your chances of being bitten drop by 95%. When I was young & stupid I pursued & killed them with relish, but
eventually woke up to myself & now would not kill one unless absolutely necessary.
Unfortunately, in past times it was the norm for rural folk to kill first, ask questions
later, but I think that has changed, & as a result, less people are bitten & our
snakes receive the respect they deserve....oldbaz.

AnswerID: 215464

Reply By: Thylacine - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 18:08

Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 18:08

I've an allergic reaction to insect bites that requires medical attention within a few hours.
Was told to try onion juice (dripped liberally over bite) as a child, and it seems to immediately neutralise the reaction. Had an onion in my glovebox since I bought my first car.
One that I haven't tried personally, but was recommended to me by a fellow with a worse reaction than mine (he'd literally die in 1/2hr from a bee-sting) was bracken sap. He had as much faith in this as I do in onion juice.
Obviously this may not work for everyone, and for all I know could be dangerous to some. I'm not a doctor.
But from personal experience I'd suggest it's worth a try for any with such ailments.
cheers

ed

AnswerID: 215475

Follow Up By: chumpion - Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 08:03

Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 08:03

I agree with the onion on bee stings - If you cut one in half, and place it on the sting, it seems to neutralise the symptoms almost immediately.

I have seen it in action a few times - pretty amazing.

FollowupID: 475881

Reply By: Mr Fawlty - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 19:12

Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 19:12

This unfortunate episode bought tears to my eyes.
I suspect the dryer weather is bringing the snakes deeper into suburbia, I had a red belly in the yard the other day, the wonder dog bailed it up my side & the neighbours dobbermann gave it curry the other so the poor thing had to lie directly under the bottom rail of the fence panel....
Lucky my GS was not out playing with the dog, it could have bitten him...Then I'd have been in deep do do with his drug addicted mother...

AnswerID: 215502