First Aid

Snake bite: first aid

Keep still, get to a hospital with antivenom, and the things people do that make a snake bite worse.

Because antivenom works, and only a hospital has it.

Do this now

01Keep the person absolutely still. Movement pumps venom through the body — this is why stillness is the treatment.
02Immobilise the bitten limb with a splint, the way you would a fracture, and keep it below the level of the heart.
03Remove rings, bangles, watches and anything tight before swelling starts.
04Carry them to the vehicle. Do not let them walk.
05Go to a hospital that stocks antivenom. Ring ahead and ask — not every hospital has it.
06If you can photograph the snake safely from a distance, do. Never delay or take a risk for this.

Do not apply a tourniquet or tie a tight cloth. This concentrates venom, and limbs have been lost to it.
Do not cut the wound or try to suck the venom out. Both cause bleeding and infection and remove no venom.
Do not apply ice, or a "snake stone", or electric shock.
Do not go to a traditional healer first. The delay is what kills, not the bite.
Do not give alcohol, aspirin or painkillers.
Do not try to catch or kill the snake.

See the nearest places with distance, whether they are open, a phone number and directions.

Whether the snake was venomous — many bites look identical
Whether venom was injected at all
A krait bite can be almost painless and is often missed until breathing weakens, which is why "it barely hurts" is not reassurance