Snakebite Prevention and First Aid

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The best way to avoid being bitten by a venomous snake is simply to leave it alone. - Joe Slowinski
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How can I avoid snakebites? 
  • Most snakebites occur between April and October, when outdoor activities are popular. You can avoid snakebites by taking the following steps:
  • Avoid places where snakes may live. These places include tall grass or brush, rocky areas, fallen logs, bluffs, swamps, marshes, and deep holes in the ground.
  • When moving through tall grass or weeds, poke at the ground in front of you with a long stick to scare away snakes.
  • Watch where you step and where you sit when outdoors.
  • Wear loose, long pants and high, thick leather or rubber boots.
  • Shine a flashlight on your path when walking outside at night.
  • Never handle a snake, even if you think it is dead. Recently killed snakes may still bite by reflex.

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What should I do if a snake bites me? 
  • Stay calm.
  • If you see the snake, try to remember what it looks like. Do NOT approach the snake; don't try to catch it or to kill it.
  • Take off any jewelry or tight clothing near the bite quickly, before swelling starts.
  • Lift a bitten arm or leg so it is level with your heart.
  • Clean the bite wound. Be sure to wipe in the direction away from the wound.
  • If you think the bite was from a poisonous snake, get to a hospital as soon as you can. In most of the United States, you should have time to get medical help before the bite is a serious danger to your life.
  • Do NOT bleed the wound.
  • Do NOT try to suck the venom out of the wound.
  • Do NOT put ice on the bite.

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A word of caution: If you find a snake, and you do not know whether or not it is venomous, the safest thing to do is leave it alone. Florida snakes are not aggressive and, unless they are cornered, most will flee when humans approach. Occasionally, you might encounter one that is reluctant to leave because it is basking in the sun to get warm. Among snakebite victims, an unacceptably high number are bitten on the hands and arms when they are handling the snake. Do not catch a snake and do not handle one unless you are sure it is not venomous. In addition, for a short time after a snake is killed, its reflexes may continue to work. Those reflexes typically cause the body to writhe slowly for a while, but they can cause a convulsive contraction and a bite, so you should not handle a freshly killed venomous snake.

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Reference: AAFP - American Academy of Family Physicians 

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