Snake bite children
Snake bite is uncommon in South Africa
& India.
The
main types of poisonous snakes are adders, cobras, mambas and boomslang
No venom is injected in about 20
percent of bites by poisonous snakes
General first aid measures include
lying the child down, immobilising the body part bitten and applying a
tourniquet - unless the child has been bitten by a puff adder
In every
case of suspected snake bite, medical attention should be sought immediately
Which
types of snakes are problems?
Although
there are more than 3 500 known species of snakes in the world, only 200 are
poisonous to humans.
It is
every mother's fear that her child will be bitten by a poisonous snake, but in
Africa, snake bite is actually quite rare, and death from snake bite even more
uncommon.
Most of
the snakes around your home are not poisonous, and, even if they are, poison is
not always injected with the bite.
The type
of poison, and the effects on the person bitten depend on the species of snake,
and the size and general health of the person.
The
types of snakes which can cause problems in South Africa are:
Adders
Adder poison, or venom, causes local tissue death. This results in massive local
swelling and a lot of pain.
Cobras
and mambas. These snakes
have venom which causes muscle paralysis, which means that the person cannot
breath, and their heart cannot pump. The poison usually takes effect within half
to one hour.
Boomslang.
This is a rare bite. The venom will cause severe generalised bleeding within 48
hours.
What
happens in snake bite?
About 20
percent of bites by poisonous snakes do not result in venom being injected.
In the
rest, the severity of the reaction to the venom depends on many different
things:
Related to the victim:
The age of the person
The general health of the person
The size of the person
Related to the snake:
The species of snake
The condition of the venom glands
The condition of the fangs
Related to the bite:
The number of bites
The location of the bites
The depth of the bites
The
amount of venom injected
The
speed and efficiency of the initial treatment of the bite is also important in
determining the outcome of snake bite.
What to
do if your child has been bitten
Look
for marks to make sure that the child has been bitten.
If possible, find the snake and kill
it for identification. Take it to the hospital or doctor when you take the
child.
Always
seek medical attention, preferably in the emergency department of your nearest
hospital.
The most likely snake to have bitten
your child is the puff adder since they are slow-moving. This is a fat, brown
snake with a triangular head, with yellow stripes and spots on its body. For
this type of bite, do not use a tourniquet. Antivenom is not usually needed
unless the child is under the age of two, or they are a long way from hospital.
If you know that the bite is from a
cobra or mamba, use a tourniquet. The child will need antivenom on arrival at
hospital.
Cutting
or sucking the wound, or using alternative remedies, are useless. Don't do it.
f a snake spits into your child's
eyes, wash the eyes with large amounts of water, preferably by holding their
head under a running tap. Do this before taking the child to hospital, since it
will get rid of most of the poison. Once in hospital, the eyes will be washed
further, often with diluted antivenom.
General
first aid measures include lying the child down and immobilising the part of the
body which has been bitten. Pressure should be applied at the site of the bite.
A
tourniquet should be placed above the bite if possible. You should be able to
insert a finger gently between the tourniquet and the skin.
You can
use a belt, a broad strap, or the rubber tourniquet supplied with any snake-bite
kit. It must be put on around the thigh or upper arm, above the bite.
A
tourniquet can only be used for one and a half hours, during which time it must
be released for a few seconds every 15 to 30 minutes. Do not use a tourniquet
if:
The bite occurred more than an hour
previously.
There is a large amount of local
swelling or pain.
The child was bitten by a puff adder.
