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The Scenario:
Carlos is a guy who loves the outdoors. He's into rock climbing, mountain biking, getting out into the wilderness. He's on a trip with a friend in the San Juan mountains of southwestern Colorado. They're hiking along, and suddenly come upon a rattle snake. Before he could do anything, the snake lunged. He tried to defend himself with his hands, but wound up getting bitten deeply on his right forearm. They are a good six kilometers from help, and don't have a snake bite kit.
Question:
Answer:
Carlos was the victim of a surprising phenomenon: A rattlesnake striking in an unprovoked manner. His problem remains, however, and the most important thing to do is to keep as calm and quiet as possible and to get to a medical facility as quickly as he can. Carlos' friend should gently cleanse the wound with clean water and an antiseptic if available and then apply a very loose clean dry dressing without any first aid cream or ointment. The forearm should be gently and loosely splinted and must be kept BELOW the level of the heart (in an attempt to slow circulation of the venom).
Since help is within six kilometers, a walk out may be attempted if the hike is not too strenuous and if Carlos is feeling physically and emotionally able. If he is not able, a litter to aid transport could be fashioned. Carlos has a good chance of doing very well. Often (up to 30% of bites) pit vipers do not envenomate their victims. Once his friend has aided Carlos in reaching the world-class medical facility which is 5.7 km away, he will be assessed and if indicated, antivenin will be administered, extremely slowly, in very small amounts, under intensely close medical and nursing scrutiny, due to the high risk of severe side-effects to the antivenin.
Although snakes strike fear in many hearts, they cause relatively few serious medical problems. Of 45,000 snakebites in the US per year, there are only an estimated 8,000 envenomations and 5 - 12 deaths. The most significant aspect of treating snakebites, of course, is to avoid them. A few basic rules to follow include being aware of whether you're sharing your space with poisonous snakes and if so which ones (including identifying characteristics and behavior); wearing appropriate protective clothing (e.g., long pants and shirts, boots); watching your step closely; never reaching into places within which you cannot see clearly; and never attempting to handle or be aggressive towards a snake of any kind.
There were many different treatment suggestions offered by puzzler respondents. If you or a companion do get bitten, there are a few basic Do's and Don'ts, many of them contrary to popular wisdom, and based upon field experience. The Do's are as above, and also include using "The Extractor." This is a device found in a "snake kit" which is immediately applied to the wound site. It acts by suctioning up to 30% of the venom from the wound. Obviously, it is also important to get away from the offending snake.
The Don'ts include: Do not apply a tourniquet; do not apply ice; do not make any cuts or incisions; do not attempt to suck out the venom with your mouth; do not elevate the affected body part; do not ingest alcohol; and - of great importance - do not panic