Poisonous snakes are found everywhere, however, human contact with them is quite rare. It is even less common for snakes to attack and bite people, although this does happen. Fortunately, in our area there are practically no snakes whose bite would be absolutely fatal, however, such an encounter cannot be ruled out, and besides, even not too strong snake venom can cause a severe reaction in people with hypersensitivity.

Snake toxin, even in non-lethal concentrations, can cause severe local and general reactions, so you need to know how to provide first aid for snake bites - until the victim is taken to the hospital.

What to do if bitten by a snake

Most often we have to deal with non-venomous snakes, so if a person is bitten by a snake, we should try to soberly assess what happened. If after the bite there is no rapid deterioration in the general condition, the bitten part of the body does not swell, does not change its color, and the pain from the bite quickly passes, then most likely the snake was not poisonous. In this case, it is enough to treat the wound with an antiseptic.

If local and general changes begin to occur after the bite, you should act quickly, but do not fuss and avoid unnecessary movements of the victim - the fact is that snake venom, once in the body, spreads through the blood and lymphatic vessels, and increases muscle contraction blood and lymph circulation, thereby quickly spreading the poison throughout the body.

So, first aid for a snake bite is as follows:

1. Stop contact with the snake as quickly as possible. If a snake grabs a person and does not let go, it is necessary to unhook it, because the longer the bite lasts, the more poison will enter the body. It is advisable to have time to examine the snake in order to be able to describe it - this will help subsequently choose the optimal treatment;
2. After a bite, the victim must be immobilized (for the reason described above). If there are rescuers near the victim, the person must be laid down with his legs slightly elevated so that they are above his head. If no one was nearby at the time of the bite, you should at least immobilize the injured part of the body (most often it is an arm or leg);
3. It is necessary to remove all jewelry from the victim and loosen tight fasteners. This must be done so that the developing edema does not lead to traumatic compression of the tissues;
4. Apply a tight bandage to the affected part of the body above the bite site. An indicator that the bandage is applied correctly is the ability to move between it and the skin of two fingers. A bandage that is too tight and does not allow this to be done will cause poor circulation at the site of the bite, which in the future can very likely lead to gangrene;
5. It is necessary to intensively suck out the poison from the wound for 10-15 minutes. To do this, it is permissible to make one or two small cuts in the skin at the site of the bite to facilitate removal of the toxin. Poison that enters the oral cavity is tens of times less dangerous than poison that enters the bloodstream, so it is only necessary that the rescuer who sucks out the poison does not have any damage to the oral mucosa. However, the contents should not be swallowed but should be spat out. If you start doing this quickly and energetically enough, you can remove up to 50% of the snake venom that entered during the bite;
6. One of the important first aid measures for a snake bite is the intake of fluid into the body. The victim should be offered water or any other drinks, with the exception of alcohol. Drinking plenty of fluids will reduce the concentration of poison;
7. If the victim’s condition rapidly deteriorates, he loses consciousness, breathing and cardiac activity stop, resuscitation measures should be started (indirect cardiac massage, mouth-to-mouth, mouth-to-nose artificial respiration);
8. Take the victim to the hospital as soon as possible, where he can be injected with antitoxic serum. In this case, it is advisable to transport the person in a lying position on a stretcher; if a child has suffered from a snake bite, he can be carried in his arms.

It should be remembered that antitoxic serum, which destroys snake venom that has entered the blood, is most effective in the first 30-60 minutes after the bite, so it is important that the victim gets to a medical facility as early as possible, preferably within an hour after the bite.

What is prohibited to do if bitten by poisonous snakes

Sometimes, sincerely wanting to help, rescuers take actions that, instead of providing relief, further aggravate the victim’s condition. Therefore, you should know what is strictly not recommended to do when providing first aid for a snake bite.

So, when bitten by poisonous snakes, it is prohibited:

1. Give the victim alcoholic (including low-alcohol) drinks;
2. Apply a tourniquet instead of a pressure bandage, as this will lead to tissue necrosis, as a result of which, in addition to the snake’s venom, toxic products of tissue breakdown will also enter the bloodstream;
3. Cauterize the bite site with something (including cauterizing solutions);
4. Applying thermal compresses and bandages to the affected area is prohibited, as well as cooling ones. The maximum permissible is cooling the bite area itself, in order to slow down local blood circulation.

Preventing snake bites

In our area, poisonous snakes are rarely found in densely populated areas. As a rule, human contact with a snake occurs away from city noise, on hiking trips, country trips, etc. Therefore, when going on a trip or out of town, you should consider the possibility of such a meeting. If there is information that there are poisonous snakes in the area where you are staying, you should move there in clothing that leaves as little as possible open areas body (long trousers, long-sleeved jacket, high rubber boots, etc.). If you are planning a long trip, you should take polyvalent antitoxic serum with you - it is an antidote to the toxins of most venomous snakes. On long hikes, this serum should always be with you within half an hour's reach.

Snake bites can be very dangerous - everyone knows this. However, different situations require different actions.

It is important to be able to distinguish between different snakes, and before you go to a certain place (especially on a trip to Africa), it is better to check in the reference book which snakes live specifically where you will be.

Snakes can be harmless, although poisonous. And this is not a paradox - some species live far from human habitation. And if they feel that a person is somewhere close, they simply move on without attacking him.

Some species of snakes, like humans, have their own personalities. A snake can attack when angry and hungry, and it can even react calmly to aggression. Here, too, a lot depends on the species.

Poisonous snakes that attack people are especially dangerous. Usually they develop enormous speed, at which it is impossible to hide from the snake even on a bicycle.

Types of snake venom

What kind of help should be given for a snake bite depends on its type, the composition of the venom and its type. There are two types of poisons:

• paralytic. Dangerous view poison. When exposed to it, the respiratory organs are paralyzed, which can cause a person to stop breathing and die;
• dangerous for blood. In the blood, the poison breaks down vital cells, causing spasms. Suffer from spasms soft fabrics and organs. Although this type of poison is slower to act, it can be very dangerous.

What to do if bitten by a snake

If another person in a group is bitten by a snake, it is important to provide him with first aid. Moreover, other people should do this, which will allow the victim to avoid excessive movements, and this will slow down the passage of poison through the blood.

General rules for snake bites are:

• remove clothing if the snake has bitten it (most of the venom may be concentrated on it);
• treat the wound, removing all the poison that remains at the wound;
• you can press on the area around the bite (if it is a hand, you should do so so that the soft tissue around the wound is pressed against the bone structure so that the poison can come out with the blood (all of it still won’t come out, but you can reduce the concentration);
• if they are too dangerous, you need to have medicine with you and take it after removing the poison around the wound;
• if there is no medicine, and there is a medic in the group, you can make cuts around the wound in the shape of a cross, and then press on the wound so that the poison comes out (again, all of it won’t come out anyway);
• You can suck out the poison from the wound, but only within 15 minutes after the bite. This is relevant if it takes more than an hour to get to a medical facility or the victim is in severe panic. Only a person who does not have problems with bleeding gums needs to suck out the poison. If they exist, under no circumstances should you begin the procedure - hell will enter the bloodstream, and then two people will need help.

This is especially important to understand when hiking in the desert, where a lot of snakes can live despite the general lack of life in this area. However, it is better to study in more detail.

If a person is bitten by a snake on the leg, it is better to tie it to the other leg and take it to the hospital in a horizontal position.

If a snake bites your hand, you need to urgently remove the rings from all your fingers, bend your arm at the elbow and remain calm.

If possible, it is better to put the bitten person down. Even sitting position provides Negative influence to spread the poison.

Important: drink plenty of water. Water helps reduce the level of intoxication. This is not a panacea, but it helps with dangerous bites and long-term transportation to a medical facility.

Myths about snake bites

There are ways to deal with snake bites that actually do no good and only cause more harm.

Application of a tourniquet. “It is necessary to apply a tourniquet so that the poison does not spread throughout the body” - under no circumstances should this be done.

If you stop the flow of blood, the poison will be concentrated in one part of the body. It will not remain inactive, but will begin to be absorbed into the internal veins.

This may have dangerous effects. Also, due to compression with a tourniquet, swelling forms, the poison combines with the tissues - they become inflamed and dehydrated.

Such actions can lead to serious consequences, including the need for amputation.

Everyone has a different animal world. Dangerous snakes they live in different places, so when preparing your trip you need to find out in advance exactly how best to escape from the bite of a snake of one or another species living in the area.

There are simply no general methods of struggle and no universal remedy or antidote - this is a myth.

It is forbidden to drink alcohol after a bite. Also, when traveling, it is not advisable to drink alcohol at all, since in the event of a snake bite, the poison will be better absorbed.

The opinion that after taking 100 grams, the bitten person will feel calmer is fundamentally wrong.

Hello, my dear readers! I confess: I am terribly afraid of snakes. But still I decided to write an article on this topic. It's early summer, but we've already had cases of snake bites. To prevent the consequences from being tragic, you need to know how to properly provide first aid, this is very important!

The point is that after hibernation the snakes come to life and begin to mate to produce offspring. And it is during this period that snakes are the most evil. But snakes will never be the first to attack for no reason. They sense an approaching person in advance through the vibrations of the soil and try to hide from him in time. But it happens when the soil is peaty or dug up, and the snake does not feel the vibrations of the soil, and then it attacks, defending itself.

When a person approaches, the snake makes itself known in advance; it will hiss and immediately try to crawl away. A bite can occur if you accidentally step on it, try to pick it up with your hands (anything can happen to some people) or kill it. The lunge of a snake to bite is lightning fast, so that they do not immediately notice that they have been bitten by a snake. They notice when the snake is already crawling away.

Symptoms and consequences of a snake bite

In Russia, bites from vipers are more common. They can take you by surprise at the most unexpected moment and attack. The consequences can be very different. It all depends on where the snake bit. More often viper bites to the limb area. A bite to the head or neck is very dangerous, since the risk to life in this case increases significantly.

Viper venom contains a cytotoxin, which in turn affects the nervous system. Other substances cause blood clotting disorders and contribute to tissue death.

At the site of the bite, two small round wounds are usually visible, less often - one (if the snake has one poison-conducting tooth broken or the bite occurred on the side). After the bite, increasing intense pain occurs.

The bite site begins to turn red in the first seconds, then heat sets in, and later swelling is observed, growing upward from the wound. Sometimes swelling is severe and can lead to the development of gangrene (death of tissue). Sometimes swelling spreads throughout the body, which is very dangerous.

The general reaction is expressed in the form of intoxication. It appears approximately 30 minutes after the bite. General weakness appears headache and dizziness, nausea, possible vomiting, rapid heartbeat and difficulty breathing (shortness of breath), lethargy, falling blood pressure, temperature. The state of fainting is no exception.

For the first 3 days, fever, skin blisters and ecchymosis (bleeding into the skin and mucous membranes) may persist.

Severe symptoms include:

• state of excitement,
• labored breathing,
• heart rhythm disturbances,
• lethargy,
• changes in the kidneys and liver,
• bleeding,
• convulsions,
• macrohematuria (presence of blood clots in the urine),
• hemorrhagic diathesis.

Death from a viper bite is rare, occurring in about 1% of cases. This is much less common than bee, wasp or hornet stings. But it is still quite unpleasant and painful. Deaths may occur in children and in those who did not take antidote measures or ignored contacting a doctor.

The consequences of bites depend on many factors.

1. Snake size. The larger the reptile, the more poison it can inject;
2. Height and weight of the victim. The larger the victim, the less impact the poison will have;
3. Bite site. Bites to the head, neck, shoulder, chest are more dangerous than to the limbs of a person or animal;
4. The victim's health condition. In the presence of cardiac pathologies, there is a risk of developing shock. Shock can be triggered by panic and tachycardia, and this contributes to the rapid spread of poison throughout the body.

If you do not start providing assistance in time, the prognosis may not be very pleasant. Deaths from viper bites are rare, but complications from the cardiovascular system can remain for a long time. But if, during a bite, a poison-conducting tooth gets into a blood vessel, then the clinical picture develops much faster and the consequences of the bite are more serious. The severity of the consequences of snake bites also depends on where the snake bit. A snake bite to the head is much more severe than to the arms or leg.

First aid

• Comfort a snakebite victim.
• Sit him down (lay him down), try to keep him moving as little as possible.
• If you do not have wounds in the oral cavity, try to immediately suck out the poison from the wound: gather the bitten wounds into a fold and suck out the poison from it, spit it out immediately. Even if a certain amount of poison gets into your stomach, it’s not scary; under the action of gastric juice it is neutralized and becomes non-hazardous. Suction of the venom should begin immediately, no later than 5 minutes after the bite and continue for 15 minutes.
• In order to slow down the absorption of the poison, apply ice to the wound if possible.
• Treat the wound with any disinfectant other than vodka, for example, a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
• Ensure the immobility of the bitten limb; you can tie (bandage) the leg to the other leg, bandage the arm to the body, or apply a splint. Lay the victim down and let him move as little as possible.
• Give the victim plenty of warm fluids.
• Try to take (take) the patient out of the forest, dacha, etc. and transported to the nearest medical facility as quickly as possible. It is necessary to administer anti-snake serum as early as possible.
• Carrying out the first measures is effective only in the first 15-20 minutes after the bite; there is no point in carrying them out later, since the poison has already spread throughout the body. But the victim still needs to be urgently taken to the hospital.

What should you not do if you are bitten by a snake?

• cauterize, cut the bite site,
• apply a tourniquet: blood and lymph flow are disrupted, which can ultimately lead to necrosis and tissue disintegration, which can further aggravate the general condition,
• do not drink alcohol, drinking it can aggravate the general condition, since alcohol does not neutralize the poison, but, on the contrary, makes it difficult to remove the poison from the body.

Folk remedies for snake bites

• You can apply a cotton swab soaked in an ammonia solution to the wound from a snake bite and change it 3 times a day.
• Steam dry or fresh veronica herb (snake grass) and apply to the wound from a snake bite.
• Mix crushed garlic with salt and apply to the wound.
• Grind the herb of the trifid herb and apply this paste to the wound, this relieves pain in the wound from the bite.
• Grind the leaves, mix with and apply to the wound.
• You can drink herbal tea inside.

• Do not walk barefoot in a meadow, in a forest, in a country house, that is, where there is tall grass.
• When going out into the forest to pick mushrooms or berries, wear boots.
• Be careful when weeding the beds at your dacha, as a snake may warm itself there.

God forbid you encounter and suffer from a snake bite. But just in case, remember the advice, what if such a misfortune happens to someone, and then you will be able to help in time. In any case, when snakebite hospitalization and observation by medical staff is required. The faster safety measures are taken, the greater the chances of a favorable recovery.

IN last years cases of poisoning by snake venom have increased significantly, which is associated not only with the growth of tourism, the mass migration of the population abroad, the departure of children for a summer health campaign, but also with a significant appearance on the pharmacy market medicines containing snake venom.

Therefore, all poisoning by snake venom can be divided into two large groups:

1. Poisoning by snake venom as a result of a snake bite;
2. Poisoning by snake venom as a result of improper use of medications containing this poison.

Poisoning with snake venom is the cause of acutely developing intoxication, requiring urgent and sometimes resuscitation measures.

The venoms of all snakes are usually divided into:

• Neurotoxic, causing disruption of the transmission of nerve impulses from motor nerves to muscle nerves;
• Hemotoxic, having the property of hemolyzing (gluing) red blood cells, disrupting blood clotting, and increasing vascular permeability.

Death is often preceded by the development of vascular insufficiency, associated with a pronounced decrease in circulating blood volume, as well as loss of blood plasma as a result of increased capillary permeability.

Snake poisoning

A fairly common occurrence, especially in the summer. While on a hike or on a picnic, we often forget the basic rules of safe behavior in this situation. Most often, children who try to “play” with a snake, put it in a glass jar, or simply get as close as possible become victims of such careless behavior. This is regarded by the snake as a signal to attack, which results in an attack and a bite.

So, if you or your child is bitten by a snake, don't panic. Assess the situation soberly and calmly. If there is no pain, swelling, or signs of damage at the site of the bite nervous system(headache, palpitations, difficulty breathing, etc.), then most likely this snake is not poisonous.

Continue to monitor the victim, and in any case call an ambulance. If possible, save the snake for further examination, observing your own safety rules.

Bite poisonous snake most often accompanied by:

1. Local reactions:

• The presence of bite marks in the form of two triangular wounds;
• Severe pain;
• Intense swelling, quickly spreading over a large area and reaching its maximum development by the end of the first hour after the bite. In the area of ​​edema, the skin has a blue-purple color.

1. Signs of resorptive damage:

• Headache;
• Nausea;
• Speech impairment;
• Thirsty;
• Tachycardia, up to thread-like pulse;
• A sharp decrease in blood pressure;
• Muscle weakness;
• State of depression and anxiety;
• Violation of the act of swallowing;
• "Double vision";
• Numbness of the body, especially at the site of the bite;
• Convulsions may occur.

1. Physiological disorders:

• Increasing capillary permeability;
• Hemolysis of blood, decreased blood clotting;
• Hematuria;
• Kidney and liver failure;
• Oligouria;

Death can occur as a result of increasing collapse and respiratory paralysis (from 20 minutes to 1 day or more).

So, what factors influence the severity of the consequences if you are bitten by a poisonous snake.

For the victim:

• Age (children and older people are most at risk).
• Body mass. How smaller size body, the higher the likelihood of death, due to the faster spread of poison throughout the body.
• General health. The presence of somatic or chronic diseases, especially heart and blood diseases.
• The behavior of the victim. The more intensely the victim moves, the more intensely the poison will spread through the systemic bloodstream.

For snake:

• The type of snake, its age and size, as well as the intensity of its fright. Young vipers are less dangerous. The most dangerous are cobras, rattlesnakes, and viper.
• Condition of teeth. There are pathogenic microorganisms in the snake’s mouth, therefore, sometimes intoxication is complicated by the development of tetanus, gangrene, and purulent-necrotic processes.

Also great importance localization of the bite takes place. When the lower extremities are affected, the symptoms do not develop as intensely as with bites to the neck or face, where large blood vessels are located. IN uh In this case, the poison will spread rapidly.

What to do

• Calm the victim;
• Call an ambulance;
• Give the body a horizontal position, prohibit movement and speech;
• If the snake is fixed at the site of the bite, it must be carefully removed, killed, then placed in a separate container for further examination by specialists;
• Free the victim from restrictive clothing and jewelry;
• Immobilize the limb with available materials (boards, branches) with fixation of the adjacent joint. In the absence of available means, immobilization is carried out to a healthy limb or to the body.
• Treat the bite site with peroxide. Apply a bandage slightly above the bite site or any clean piece of fabric (one finger fits freely under the bandage);
• Give the person to drink as much fluid as possible;
• Take a tablet of Suprastin, Tavegil, Zyrtec, Zodak. (antiallergic drugs)
• If the heart stops or there is no breathing, begin artificial ventilation or cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Help with a snake bite

What not to do

REMEMBER!!! Do not make incisions (cauterization) of the wound. Do not suck out the wound contents. Do not apply a tourniquet. Wait for the doctor to arrive.

As a last resort, if the victim is in the forest and the wait for help is more than two hours, the contents of the wound can be sucked out with a rubber bulb for 30-60 minutes.

What not to do

Prevention

In snake-prone areas, long trousers and tall shoes or boots should be worn. It is very important to be careful and attentive, to watch your step. The snake has no hearing. She feels with receptors. Therefore, when a snake appears, you don’t need to freeze, but rather rustle loudly or stomp your feet so that The snake, sensing danger, quickly crawled away. You should not play even with very small and “harmless” snakes, lure them into jars, wrap them around sticks, or tease the snake. You should carry a sharp knife or a long stick with you when hiking in the forest or mountains, as well as a bandage for applying a bandage, peroxide or chlorhexidine, a suction bulb, and antihistamines.

Poisoning by snake venom as a result of improper use of medications containing this poison.

IN Lately appeared on pharmacy shelves significant amount medications containing snake venom (viprosal, vipraxin, etc.), used as painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. In therapeutic doses, snake venom preparations are not dangerous. But there are also known cases of poisoning when these drugs are absorbed into the blood through damaged skin.

Rubbing and compressing snake venom preparations, for example, on the lower extremities, can cause severe swelling, spreading to the buttock, inguinal folds, genitals, and sometimes to the abdominal area. It can also get worse general health. Headache, weakness, nausea, palpitations and other symptoms described above appear.

If you notice similar symptoms in yourself, you should stop using the ointment by wiping off the residue with a napkin. It is necessary to seek help from a medical facility as soon as possible. Before the doctor arrives, you should drink as much as possible. clean water(up to 5 liters), take a tablet of Suprastin, Tavegil, Zodak, Zyrtec, Diphenhydramine, lie down on the sofa.