All snake bites deserve medical attention — venomous or not.
“Even non-venomous snake bikes are wounds and can still require cleansing, antibiotics and tetanus evaluation,” said Dr. Peter Byers, emergency room director at Allen County Regional Hospital.
The dangers of snakebites came into focus recently with social media posts for ACRH and Anderson County Hospital in Garnett, both managed by the Saint Luke’s Health System. The posts warned of a higher-than-usual number of bites in the region, and urged caution for those who might come into contact with snakes.
Though Byers and emergency room staff have seen an increase in snake bites at both locations, he’s only seen one venomous case in recent months. That incident happened in Anderson County.
The main thing to do if you are bitten by a snake is to remain calm. Anxiety can make your heart race and speed the flow of the venom.
And you certainly don’t want to agitate the snake any further.
“Don’t get bit again. If it’s possible, try to identify the snake but don’t put anyone at risk to do so,” he said.
Being able to identify the snake will save time but isn’t essential. You don’t need to try to catch or kill the snake, as the same anti-venom applies to all types of pit vipers typically found in Kansas. Byers said ER staff have seen people bring in a variety of snakes — most are usually harmless — in buckets, bags, water bottles and all sorts of containers. “Sometimes, the snake is still alive.”
Often, snake bites occur after dark. About a third of all bites are “dry bites,” with no venom even if caused by a venomous snake.
“Even if you know you got bit by a rattlesnake, we’ll still watch it and see what happens. It takes time for the effects of venom to develop,” Byers said. “We use that time to consider whether or not to provide anti-venom, which has some significant side effects and downsides.”
Many people have an anaphylactic allergic reaction to anti-venom. The reaction can be similar to those who are highly allergic to bee stings or peanuts. “The risk of triggering a reaction is much higher than any other substance I know. If someone was actually bitten by a venomous snake, then the risk is worth it. As soon as there are signs of venom, we’ll start treatment.”
Smaller hospitals such as Iola and Garnett’s typically keep only a small amount of anti-venom on site, so a snake bite victim will be transferred to a metropolitan area such as Kansas City.
And despite what movies or television shows portray, never try to suck the venom out of a bite.
“Bullet point on that. Don’t suck out the venom. Don’t suck out the venom. Don’t try to cut it out,” Byers said, noting most snake fangs are 1-inch or longer, so the venom is placed deep under the skin.
Byers offers suggestions:
