In memoriam - Sebastian Wicker

[BRICKBURN]

Must not be available in the USA. Couldn’t find it on AppStore

https://www.africansnakebiteinstitute.com/app/

Search "ASI Snakes"

 

[Zambezi]

@Zambezi
Could you please elaborate on this?

Quoting from the ASI APP:

"Do not apply an arterial or venous tourniquet. Many people are bitten by harmless snakes, or venomous snakes that do not inject a sufficient amount of venom to do serious damage. Throughout most of Southern Africa, nine out of ten snakebites are from snakes with predominantly cytotoxic venom like the Mozambique Spitting Cobra, Puff Adder, Rhombic Night Adder and Bilbron's Stiletto Snake. Applying tourniquets to such bites may aggravate local tissue damage, with some snakebite victims sustaining serious local tissue damage to limbs. There is little medical evidence that an arterial tourniquet may be life-saving in the event of a snakebite."

End quote.

It is also said that tourniquets are generally applied too late as most of the venom has left the immediate site already or it is injected deeply where a well applied tourniquet (that still allows good capillary function) is of little relative use.

So it is a cost / benefit thing. You might have received a dry bite or only slight envenomation but end up losing a leg doing something that probably doesn't do much in the way of saving your life.

If you can download the app there is hours and hours of very interesting stuff on there and you'll learn shed loads. And it's a great way to kill time while sitting waiting for a connecting flight etc.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

This has probably been said already, but surely safari operators in remote areas with a 'typical' venomous snake like a cobra in Mozambique or a puff adder in the Eastern Cape should carry current anti venom?

 

[Zambezi]

This has probably been said already, but surely safari operators in remote areas with a 'typical' venomous snake like a cobra in Mozambique or a puff adder in the Eastern Cape should carry current anti venom?

The administering of antivenom is only done in hospitals due the serious side effects people often have to the antivenom. People die just due the antivenom too if there is not a competent medical team and ventilators etc.

What if the person only receives a dry bite or very slight envenomation but you give him antivenom and he dies due to that. Also one doesn't just jab an ampule of antivenom in the leg etc and hey presto all is ok. Anaphylactic shock is always a real concern.

Plus the cost of keeping sufficient stock on hand and keeping it "in date" would be prohibitive for something that is so very rare.

 

[WAB]

I can tell you from experience that once the antivenin is started in your IV, there is a Dr standing there watching your vitals to catch any adverse reaction quickly. Adverse reactions are not uncommon, happen quickly, and can be life threatening. I actually had an adverse reaction to another drug administered and went into seizures, which I do not remember. A lot of terrible things are happening in your body as all this is going on.

I feel terrible for this you d man’s family. They are experienced enough to know what he went through, which only adds to the trauma of the loss.

 

[Hunt anything]

I think that Wally Johnson saved his own life by administering out of date antivenin when he was bitten by a gaboon viper in Mozambique. No doubt he was fortunate that he had no reaction to the syrum . I would hate to bet my life on that. To the medical people out there; how set in stone are expiration dates? Is it no good or just looses some of it effectiveness?

 

[ESHKESH SAFARI]

Sad to hear about the loss of yet another professional hunter. Condolences to his family. Can't imagine how tough it'll be for his kid growing up.

I worked as an assistant to the handlers at Meserani snake Park on the outskirts of Arusha where they have a snakebite clinic that treats all snakebite victims completely free of charge and we sometimes used expired anti venom that still worked well on snake bite victims. We only threw it away once it turned milky.

Regarding the use of tourniquets, I'll only use it on a Black Mamba bite and only immediately after the bite. This is because a Black Mamba has relatively short fangs and a tourniquet might be helpful immediately after the bite. Even then I'll only use a wide tourniquet that won't cause pressure necrosis on the limb and I would release it every 10 to 15 minutes to allow for some circulation.

Once a masai man was tagged by a black mamba on the thigh as he was herding his cattle past a small anthill in lolkisale, north of Tarangire and his colleague applied a tourniquet immediately after the bite. They then transported him to our clinic on motorbike, a journey that took just over two hours. He was still conscious when he got to us but he had numb lips. About ten minutes after opening the tourniquet, he fell unconscious and it took a total of 9 vials to save him.

Another incident involved another masai man whose leg had to be amputated because they had left the torniquet in place for two days! When they got to the clinic it was too late!

 

[igotit]

Rest on.

 

[TERMINATOR]

RIP to Mr. Wicker and prayers for his family.

Do people wear snake boots when hunting in Africa ever? I know they would ruin the whole "PH in Shorty Shorts" look but I am honestly surprised more people don't wear them. It seems even in Africa most snake bites are from the knee down.

Just curious

 

[expresshunt]

Our dear friend Sebastian, to be very suddenly taken. All who have experienced the fantastic Coutada 14, 1000s of Cape Buffalo and lovely safari camp, we all had plans to return with friends. My very deepest condolences to close family, and others he has blessed by sharing his life. He was a man us hunters instantly became friends with, a gentleman, a hard worker, and he delivered incredible dreams and adventures.
Thank you, others, for the posts and info on antivenene and treatments.
I will attempt to attach some pics of my mate, and adventure.
Many have been shattered and deeply affected by Sebastians passing, but may his close family all have our strength and hugs.
Graham Williams