Call for emergency help right away if you have been bitten by a snake. Responding quickly in this type of emergency is vital. While waiting for emergency help:
Wash the bite with soap and water.
Keep the bitten area still and lower than the heart.
Cover the area with a clean, cool compress or a moist dressing to ease swelling and discomfort. If the bite is from a coral snake, consider applying some firm pressure directly over the wound with a clean cloth and your hand.
Watch breathing and heart rate.
Remove all rings, watches, and constrictive clothing, in case of swelling.
Note the time of the bite so that it can be reported to an emergency room healthcare provider if needed.
If possible, try to remember to draw a circle around the affected area. Mark the time of the bite and the first reaction. If you are able, redraw the circle around the site of injury, marking the progression of time.
It’s helpful to remember what the snake looks like, its size, and the type of snake if you know it. Tell this to the emergency room staff.
Don’t apply a tourniquet. This will cause more damage. It actually worsens your outcome and makes it more likely that you could lose your arm and or leg. That is because it keeps all of the toxin in one place and gives it more time to cause damage. It also cuts off blood supply to any healthy tissue, causing more damage.
Don’t try to suck the venom out. Doing this will only introduce infection and cause more damage.
Don’t apply ice.
At the emergency department you may be given:
Antibiotics to prevent or treat developing infections
Medicine to treat your pain
A special type of medicine (antivenin), depending on the type of snake that bit you and the severity of your symptoms.
Source: Nairaland
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