Reading the article on the little girl who died got me to thinking about how much the conventional wisdom has changed regarding first aid for snake bites. Obviously the old Hollywood cliche' of "make a razor cut and suck out the venom" is not recommended but now most experts say not to do anything at all except hustle to the hospital. I wonder if so many people have done more harm than good with various wacky folk-treatments that they figure doing nothing is preferable. Many even say using "The Extractor" is no help. However, a few years ago a hunting buddy of mine got bit on the hand by a rattler while picking up a dove he'd shot. He had an Extractor and you could see it pulling venom out of the wound. He still got really sick and had a long recovery but how could removing at least some of the venom be a bad thing??
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Jerp I agree with you. I don't see how getting some of the venom out can be a bad thing. We got one of those kits. Thank goodness we never had to use it. -
Surely extracting some venom has to help.
Anyone ever heard the ol wives tale about pulling a spark plug wire off an engine and zapping yourself where the snake bit you and it would kill the venom?
My grandad used to talk about that all the time when I was a boy.Comment
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I have one. Thankfully, I've never had to use it.
Randy, I read a good bit a few years ago about the spark plug wire deal. From what I read, either a spark plug wire or a cattle prod would help a lot. Something about the electric charges from those that breaks down the venom somehow. I can't remember if it's amps or volts (I'm no electrician), but the charges from those things worked where a light socket doesn't.Comment
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The change in treatment philosophy probably came about with the advent of better transportation, more hospitals, more EMS services, Life Flight / Care Flight helicopters, etc. It's not feasible to sit in the woods with a razor blade, suction cup, Santaria candles, or a Farmer's Almanac when you could be getting to real help. But I fully agree that suctioning out some of the poison while you're buddy drives you to the hosptial is a good idea. At least it would keep your mind off the pain. =)Comment
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Maybe its a west Texas thing because everyone here Ive mentioned it to thinks Im crazy.Originally posted by Shane View PostComment
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There were articles in Field & Stream or Outdoor Life about 15-20 years ago. They had examples of people doing this in Africa as well as the US, and they had doctors/scientists talking about how it actually helped.
EDIT: We didn't have the internet in 1986 (24 years ago - wow!). Turns out this was all BS. (Well, if you can believe this from the internet, that is.)
I wouldn't be using my spark plug wires to shock myself if I got bit anyway. I'd be using them to power my engine as I flew down the road toward the hospital.Last edited by Shane; 08-12-2010, 09:05 AM.Comment
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x2, the packaging claims it works on wasp and bee stings also. Not sure about stingray or jellyfish.Originally posted by Shane View PostComment
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Anyone remember the big "stun gun snake bite treatment" hoopla from a few years back? There was so much discussion back and forth over whether or not it actually worked or not and I never heard the final outcome. I do wonder how many hunters were "launched" from a tree stand or blind when they sat down and had an AD (accidential discharge) from the stun gun in their hip pocket. I'm betting there were more injuries caused from guys zapping themselves "testing" the stun gun than there were recoveries from actual snake bites!Comment
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Come on Medics! Does some one want to explain how how the blood system works and how once your bitten the venom is already flowing within the blood stream and your not going to "suck" it out.Comment
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Dang I have got to stop reading snake threads on here
Been causing me sleep issues. My daughter's new kitten jumped on the bed last night while I was having a stupid rattlesnake dream. I just about tore the room apart before my wife calmed me down. Ripped all the sheets off the bed and that darn kitten was balled up in them.
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I'm speaking out of ignorance here - maybe a medical pro can set me straight. It makes sense that venom that is actually in the bloodstream is not recoverable by the Extractor - or any method. (other than draining all the blood out of your body which would be uh, counterproductiveOriginally posted by Navajo View Post
) But, couldn't the Extracor remove venom that is pooled-up in surrounding tissue, before it has a chance to be absorbed into the bloodstream?
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Venom travels primarily in the lymphatic system. Some people were cutting too deeply and causing more harm than good. That's why the conventional wisdom changed. Those that know how to do it correctly and also understand snakes and venom, such as my herpetology professor, will usually admit they would still do the cut and suck method themselves, even though they don't recommend it to others due to the dangers of doing it incorrectly.Comment
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So snakelover does the the extractor work?Comment
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I've never used one or even been envenomated by a snake. But I don't know why it wouldn't work and there are plenty of testimonials of it's effectiveness for wasp and bee stings. It would probably be a waste of time if you couldn't start suction in the first two or three minutes. But if I had one with me and could get it started immediately after a venomous snake bite, heck to the yes, I'd use it! Even if you only withdrew a small percentage of the venom, you would just be that much better off. This is not medical advice, though. This is just what I would do.Originally posted by BrandonA View PostComment
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