death by snakebite

Australia is known, or perhaps is notorious, for the venomous and dangerous creatures which live here. It is surprising that there are relatively few deaths from these. One report today suggested that perhaps 500-3000 snakebites occur annually and that there are maybe four deaths as a result.

Unfortunately one of these occurred yesterday. A teenage boy was bitten by a brown snake at Penrith on Sydney's outskirts. He staggered with a friend onto a cricket oval, collapsed with a heart attack and died yesterday in hospital.

These snakes are quite common and are aggressive and easily roused. However, there is speculation that the boy and his friend may have hurried to get help. It was hot at Penrith, near 40° and any movement would have helped the venom circulate.

For very many years, probably well over a century, the treatment for snakebite was a tourniquet around the limb. The bite was cut and venom sucked out. Dr Sutherland of the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories developed a more efficient treatment of snake, spider and insect bites some thirty or so years ago. The affected limb was to be immobilised as well as possible and the bite bandaged with firm elastic bandages up the limb to help slow down circulation. The bite was not to be washed in any way to aid in identification of the speciess by venom left on the skin. The correct, specific antivenene could then be administered by medical staff. If possible, aid was to go to the patient, rather than the other way round.

Unfortunately, the poor boy seems to have sought aid rather than staying in one place. No more details have been made public.. The heat would have made the possibility of snakes more likely and would also have been bad in slowing down his circulation as he walked for help.

For some years we had a place of 16 hectares (40 acres) in the bush almost an hur from any medical aid, where we know there were many snakes. We realised we were in their habitat and tried to instil the right procedures in our sons. We had available at all times a particular first aid box with various elastic bandages etc in it. This was in addition to an ordinary, well stocked first aid kit.

Fortunately we had no need to use the kit or test our sons' knowledge. We did however see many red belly black snakes near the creek which was a ready source of food. We also saw brown snakes similar to the one pictured in the link and while walking and climbing came across some death adders (two links there) snoozing on a rock in the sun. They have a distinctive flattened, triangular head. We skirted around them, rather than having a good look.

I killed only one in some years- a black snake which did not seem inclined to go off in the bush when we tried to frighten it. As we were expecting a lot of visitors with small children that day, we thought it best to kill it rather than run the risk of a bite. Snakes are protected in this state and should not be killed. Somehow I think this is one law honoured probably more in the breach than the observance.

Comments

[mike]

The worlds most venomous snakes are from Asia.. The whole Austrlia has such dangerous venomous animals is a myth.. Asia has ALOT more dangerous venomous snakes than australia does...In reality Asia should be notoriously for their snakes not Australia

[Jess]

actually, mike, the world's most venomous snake is the Inland Tapan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), with a LD50 value of 0.025mg/kg, is found in Australia. in fact, out of the 187 species of snakes in Australia, around 120 of them are venomous and 20-25 are known to be dangerous to human.
therefore, it is not a myth but a fact :)