Snakebite Snakebite There about 100 species of snakes
Snakebite
Snakebite • There about 100 species of snakes in Australia of which 20 are highly dangerous to humans. • The rest are capable of causing moderate to severe symptoms.
Therefore, all snake bites should be treated as life threatening!
Eastern Brown snake
Eastern Brown snake • The Eastern Brown Snake, often referred to as the Brown Snake. • It is native to Australia and one of the world's deadliest snakes. • Brown snakes have caused the greatest number of deaths in Australia.
Is it always brown? • Adult Eastern Brown Snakes are highly variable in color. • Whilst usually a uniform shade of brown, they can have various patterns including speckles and bands, and range from a very pale fawn colour through to black
Juveniles • Juveniles have a black head, with a lighter band behind, a black nape, and numerous red-brown spots on the belly.
Behaviour • Brown snakes are diurnal (meaning it is active during the day). • They are attracted to rural and farming areas, probably due to the large numbers of mice and rats. • Generally it is not found in rainforests or other wet areas.
Behaviour • Although they are reluctant to bite and react only to movement they are considered aggressive. • Compared to most snakes that will flee whenever possible, Brown Snakes are much more likely to stand their ground.
The S-shape • When highly agitated they hold their necks high, appearing in an upright Sshape. • This is a sign of strong defensive posture.
The S-shape
Case study March 24, 2008 • 48 -year-old man from Heddon Greta in the Hunter Valley was bitten on the right hand forearm by a brown snake. • He was rushed to the John Hunter Hospital by the Westpac Rescue helicopter • He was in a critical condition
Case study January 2007 • 16 -year-old boy died from being bitten on the hand by a brown snake as he wandered through bushland in Sydney's west. • The teenager stumbled out of the bush to get help, and collapsed unconscious in the middle of a cricket pitch, where he suffered a heart attack. • Despite being given antivenom, the boy died in hospital the next day.
Case study March 2007 • A Brown snake is believed to have killed a nine-year-old girl from Rocky River near Armidale. • The little girl was picking corn in the family's vegetable patch when she was bitten on the foot. • She collapsed and was taken to hospital unconscious, where she died two hours later.
Case study March 2010 • A Darwin woman who was bitten on the right foot by a Brown snake. • She kicked the snake when it leaped out from underneath the washing basket and thought the attack had only left her with a tiny scratch.
Case study March 2010 She said she drove to the hospital after strong headaches and nausea kicked in.
King Brown
King Brown • The king brown snake is probably one of Australia's most well-known venomous snakes. • It is also commonly referred to by many as the Mulga snake.
Brown snake or king brown? • The term King Brown to many, implies that this snake belongs to the brown snake family. • However it is actually a member of the black snake family.
Antivenin This is important, as a King Brown snakebite requires the use of black snake antivenin.
Scales • There is a scalation difference on the head between the Brown or Black snake • One has a single temporal scale, the other has two temporal scales.
Venom • Its venom is not particularly toxic but it is produced in huge quantities. More than any other Australian snake. • The average tiger snake produces around 10 -20 mg when milked. • A good sized King brown snake may deliver over 150 mg in one bite.
Case Study February 2008 • A Darling Downs woman survived a ferocious attack by a king brown snake that bit her seven times on the foot, with one bite puncturing a vein. • She was feeding the chooks in the late afternoon when it attacked.
Case Study February 2008 • A friend, who recently underwent a first aid refresher course covering snake bites, applied a bandage to her foot and leg. • He marked the outside of the bandage to indicate the bite site and she was rushed to Dalby where she convulsed. • Her condition was stabilised and she was transferred to Brisbane.
Case Study February 2008 • It took her five agonising weeks to recover from the snake's venom, which shut down some of her body's organs and pushed her close to death. • "The puncture marks involved a twoinch (5 cm) spread which indicated a big snake.
Case Study February 2008
Taipan
Taipan There are three known species: • Coastal taipan • Inland taipan • Central Ranges taipan
Taipan • Taipans can grow 2 to 3. 6 meters making them the largest and most poisonous snake in Australia. • They are often found in sugar fields due to an abundance of rats—their main food source.
Taipan • The taipan has excellent senses of smell and eyesight. • It quickly moves in on its prey, strikes fast, draws back and waits for the poison to work. • As soon as the poison has worked, the snake eats the prey.
Case study December 2009 A woman was picking tomatoes in the backyard of her Mackay home when a 1. 84 m taipan bit her on her right hand.
Case study December 2009 • She said the snake was trapped in some bird netting used to cover the vegetable patch, protecting the vegetables from the local crew of scrub turkeys. • Obviously, the snake felt threatened and she didn’t see it.
Case study December 2009 • She said many years ago she learnt what to do and it probably saved her life. • She quickly bandaged the whole limb firmly and then rang 000 and tried to stay relaxed.
Death Adder
Death Adder Death adders are very viper-like in appearance • Short, robust body • A triangular shaped head • Vertical pupils • Small scales
Death Adder They can also be easily distinguished from other Australian snakes because of a small, worm like lure on the end of their tail, which is used to attract prey.
Case study February 2010 • A man stood on a Death Adder while working on Camp Island off Cape Upstart south of Townsville. • He was ripping up old tennis courts when he said he felt a ‘prick’. • He said the snake just sat there and looked up at him afterwards.
Case study February 2010 • His friend recognised the snake as a Death Adder and decided to set off for the mainland by boat rather than risk help coming too late. • He was taken to Bowen Hospital but later airlifted to Townsville by rescue helicopter.
Case study October 2006 • 50 -year-old man was attacked by a death adder snake at the Del Rio water ski resort at Wisemans Ferry. • He was bitten when he picked up the snake in the dark thinking it was a lizard.
Case study October 2006 • He suffered a heart attack and paralysis from the wounds but an NRMA Care. Flight trauma team revived him. • They worked for 30 minutes to stabilise him before placing him on the helicopter's ventilator and flying him to Westmead hospital.
Case study October 2006 • At hospital he received two doses of antivenom and additional doses the next day. • In the intensive care unit his condition stablised and improved by the afternoon of the second day.
Tiger snake
Tiger snakes are highly variable in their colour, often banded like those on a tiger.
Tiger snake • They are non-aggressive, and will often give warning strikes with a closed mouth. • When threatened they will flatten their body and raise their head above the ground in a classic pre-strike stance.
Case study January 2009 • 11 -year-old girl was bitten on the right hand by a Tiger snake. • She had gone to the family stables to feed her horse and was bitten as she reached for some hay. • She said it started to sting and she went pale and got a really bad headache.
Case study January 2009 • The father made her sit down and told her to keep calm while he wrapped her hand in a pressure bandage. • They met the ambulance halfway to the hospital. • A blood test at the hospital revealed the bite had injected venom into her bloodstream.
Case study January 2009 • The father said it was panic stations once they realised venom was in her system. • A difficult night followed as she would go really sweaty and hot and start retching. • This went on and off for hours until she finally got to sleep.
Case study January 2009 The next day she felt a lot better but her hand was still swollen and stinging a bit.
Tiger snake bite
Copperhead
Copperhead • Despite sharing a name with the American copperhead, the two are not related. • Australian copperheads are usually of medium size, only rarely being more than about 1. 8 metres long, and have a moderate build.
Copperhead They have a relatively smaller head than the tiger snake.
Copperhead • Their colour varies a great deal, from a coppery mid-brown to yellowish, reddish, grey or even black, depending on the individual. • In other words, the copper head colouring is sometimes present, sometimes not.
Copperhead Because of this, it was not realised until recently that there were in fact three different species:
Copperhead 1. The Lowland Copperhead 2. The Highland Copperhead 3. The Pygmy Copperhead
Copperhead • Copperheads are well adapted to cooler climates. • In fact, they are the only Australian snake found above the snowline.
Copperhead Their favoured habitat is near water, where they swim well and often hunt tadpoles.
Antivenom • There is no specific copperhead antivenom • However Tiger Snake antivenom is effective.
Clarence River Snake
Clarence River Snakes The Clarence River snake is part of the Australian Rough Scaled Snake category.
Venom • Overall rough scaled snake venom is moderately to highly potent • However, it is generally less potent than brown snake venom, tiger snake venom and taipan venom.
Venom • Having said that, the venom contains toxins that may cause: • paralysis or muscle weakness • bleeding • Kidney failure • muscle damage
Treatment • About 60% of rough scaled snake bites result in significant envenoming requiring antivenom therapy. • Symptoms may develop in less than 15 minutes after the bite.
Treatment It is essential all cases be managed as an emergency, requiring rapid application of first aid and urgent medical assessment.
Signs and Symptoms of snake bite
Signs and Symptoms • Puncture marks or • scratches (usually • on a limb) • • Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea • • Headache • • Double or blurred vision Drooping eyelids Voice changes Bleeding from the bite site Breathing difficulties Drowsiness, giddiness or faintness
Signs and Symptoms • Problems speaking • Dark urine – due to or swallowing blood or muscle • Pain or tightness in breakdown products the throat, chest or abdomen • Respiratory weakness or arrest
Symptoms 3 hours after bite • • Limb paralysis Hypoxia Cyanosis Decrease in level of consciousness
Medical bulletin September 2008 • A paper was submitted to the panel around the use of types of bandages used for compression immobilisation. • To be sure compression is achieved it was decided that the description of bandage used should include ‘thick’.
Medical bulletin September 2008 • To reflect this change: • ‘Use thick crepe or conforming roller bandage (about 10– 15 cm wide) or other material. ’
Study 2009 • A Darwin medical student involved in a June 2009 study, says most emergency medical kits use a type of bandage that does not put enough pressure on a limb to prevent the spread of venom. • She says crepe bandages are not as good as elastic sports-type bandages.
Study 2009 • She said you can get it. . [enough pressure]… with crepe but once we put people in an ambulance and drove for half an hour, it didn't maintain that pressure adequately.
Medical bulletin July 2009 • a broad pressure bandage is placed over the bite site as soon as possible, before applying a pressure bandage.
First aid Management
Questions 13 December 2021 Coffs Harbour Divisional Training 81
- Slides: 81