Antivenom?

[Hallgeir Gravråk]

A friend of mine got bitten by a so called night adder when he was leaving the blind after a hunt, it was almost dark and he was going as 4th person in the group.
he felt a little sting in his ancle and did see a small adder/snak disapear inn the gras.
1 hour later he got this amssive pain and the leg swalled up and get blue, the only medic near by was a dentist with bush experience, he told us to go to hospital as soon as possible.
We drove to the best hospital in Pretoria a 2 hour drive from the hunting area.
He got in the emergency reseption and was taken really good care of, by the nurses and doctores.
He spend 1 week at the hospital and get all the best treatment a man can get, thank god for a solid travelinsurance.
He got better and when he got back home he did train hes leg for about 6 month, and did never recover complety, this happend in 2006.
He said, he wasn`t afraid for dying but for loosing his leg.
If he didn`t get to the hospital as fast as he did, they had to amputate the leg.

 

[rookhawk]

dumb question, but I don't know organic chemistry or snakes.

I've heard that high DC voltage can neutralize venom from more "gentle" poisons like rattlers.

Can a "stun gun" style device have any effect on African snake venoms that are neuro-toxins or paralytics?

If yes, it would seem that having one of these non-perishable devices might be a great mitigation plan.

 

[IdaRam]

dumb question, but I don't know organic chemistry or snakes.

I've heard that high DC voltage can neutralize venom from more "gentle" poisons like rattlers.

Can a "stun gun" style device have any effect on African snake venoms that are neuro-toxins or paralytics?

If yes, it would seem that having one of these non-perishable devices might be a great mitigation plan.

I had heard the same thing rookhawk, but according to the info from the link BRICKBURN posted it sounds like that may not be the case.

(From African Snakebite Institute website)
In the Event of A Snakebite DO NOT…
– DO NOT try to cut or suck out the venom
Snake venom very quickly attaches to the local tissue and is absorbed into the lymphatic system and very little venom can be removed by suction. Cutting may expose the wound to secondary infection.

– DO NOT apply any electric shock therapy
Electric shocks do not neutralise snake venom.

– DO NOT apply a tourniquet
Arterial or venous tourniquets are not advised in most bites as venom is initially transported largely through the lymphatic system and not through veins. There is no evidence that a tourniquet could be life-saving following a snakebite.

– DO NOT apply ice or warm water, lotion or potions
Leave the bite site alone, except for cleaning it with cool water and applying a sterile gauze dressing. Warm water does not denature snake venom. Do not give the victim alcohol.

– DO NOT inject antivenom as a first aid measure
If required, antivenom must be injected intravenously by a medical doctor in a hospital environment and usually in large quantities. Anaphylactic shock can be a serious side-effect which may be fatal if not treated promptly.

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I had heard the same thing rookhawk, but according to the info from the link BRICKBURN posted it sounds like that may not be the case.

(From African Snakebite Institute website)
In the Event of A Snakebite DO NOT…
– DO NOT try to cut or suck out the venom
Snake venom very quickly attaches to the local tissue and is absorbed into the lymphatic system and very little venom can be removed by suction. Cutting may expose the wound to secondary infection.

– DO NOT apply any electric shock therapy
Electric shocks do not neutralise snake venom.

– DO NOT apply a tourniquet
Arterial or venous tourniquets are not advised in most bites as venom is initially transported largely through the lymphatic system and not through veins. There is no evidence that a tourniquet could be life-saving following a snakebite.

– DO NOT apply ice or warm water, lotion or potions
Leave the bite site alone, except for cleaning it with cool water and applying a sterile gauze dressing. Warm water does not denature snake venom. Do not give the victim alcohol.

– DO NOT inject antivenom as a first aid measure
If required, antivenom must be injected intravenously by a medical doctor in a hospital environment and usually in large quantities. Anaphylactic shock can be a serious side-effect which may be fatal if not treated promptly.

However, I do think that the antivaxxers have an essential oil for that.............................

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

 

[rookhawk]

Some old data that I had heard, just can't find out if it works in Africa:

https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/05/science/the-doctor-s-world-new-shock-therapy-for-snakebites.html

And then some modern articles that say it doesn't:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11434486

And unrelated, I read about this nanogel the military is playing with:

https://newatlas.com/snake-antivenom-nanogel/48299/

 

[WAB]

One added 'do not'; do not apply ice. I had heard that this would slow the spread of the venom. However, en-route to the hospital (at high speed), I was told to cease and desist. Keep it still and seek medical attention. Do not exert yourself or do anything to get the blood pumping. Apparently folks have done significant tissue damage with ice as you have a hard time telling that you are actually freezing yourself.

One final note, the pain is special. You do not want to experience this!

 

[NurseFet]

Being a nurse, when I went on my first Africa trip this last June, this was one of the first questions I asked. Are there snakes, how likely am I to get bitten, and how far is the nearest hospital if I get bit. That being said, I didn't see 1 snake the entire trip (thank the Lord!) and we went everywhere from the Free State up north to Kruger.

Take away lesson after taking a good look at the ASBI website: I will be wearing tall boots made of strong canvas or leather material next time I go walking around in the tall grass. Tall boots and lots of extra ammo for my rifle...
Lesson: see viper-esque snake threatening and/or not moving in my path, shoot. Just shoot.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Forget about bringing your own anti-venom unless you bring your own doctor who has dealt with African poisonous snake bites. John Sharp has recently came out with a excellent book. One chapter deals with his ordeal of being bitten by a Puff Adder. After reading what he went through you might want to be sure you have one loaded cartridge for yourself (caliber not important) instead of one vial of anti-venom! Read the book! Or better yet go hunting with John! He will tell you the story!

 

[Philip Glass]

We’ve all discussed this and our concerns are legitimate. The logistics of keeping enough anti venom in the right place at the right time are daunting. Ive heard stories of hunters insisting on having it and paying thousands of dollars to have it in camp. What good does it do in camp if you are miles away.
I live on a ranch and thankfully our bad ones rattle. I just try to not think about it and pray a lot!
Philip

 

[Dewald]

All this anti-venom talk, and then today I saw a patient bitten by a Mozambique spitting cobra or locally known as Mfezi.

The guy went to switch on a water pump on a sugarcane farm, when the snake bit him. Gave anti-venom as the hand was swelling rapidly, and given their severe cytotoxic effects we have a tendency to not wait as long for painful progressive swelling as in other less venomous snakes.

All seems well 12h later now, but it is a wait and see game with cytotoxins.

Attached some pictures of the anti-venom and it’s info for those interrested.

On a lighter note. When I got home our one cat had caught a variegated bush snake. They are common residents, and non venomous. We catch 10 odd a year and let them go in the garden or bush. Here she is with a previous one.

 

[Mike70560]

There are a couple of types of “freeze dried” anti-venom available commercially. Have not seen any for African species, but there is some available for Asian species. No idea on cost or side effects but for remote rural areas it may save a few lives.

I have seen a few snakes in Zim, Tanzania, and Mozambique. The strange thing is I spent over two weeks in the forest in the Congo and did not see a single snake. There were several very nervous nights I walked in the dark for an hour following a Pygmy back to camp hoping not to step on one.

 

[Bullhunter]

The strange thing is I spent over two weeks in the forest in the Congo

This must be an great adventure.
Can you write a little bit more about it please.

 

[Steve Ausband]

I don't think it's anything to worry about excessively. Snakes are there, but bites on hunting trips are apparently pretty rare. On my last trip to Zimbabwe, the PH mostly wore Crocs. We saw a couple of mambas (one dead, one alive) and a puff adder, but nobody seemed very concerned about the possibility of snakebite. I didn't want to swap my well-worn boots for a comfy pair of Crocs, though.