It appears that a $10 snake bite kit saved this hunters life. I personally have not put too much stock in these. Maybe someone from a more snake infested area could enlighten me or just add there two cents?

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/hunter-saves-own-life-after-rattlesnake-bite/

Tyber

it looks like a Sawyer bite and sting extractor...

back in the day the Cutter kits were standard with Scouts down here, but then no one had ever heard of a level I or II trauma center... we didn't have a hospital in town... then they fell out of favor due to the "opening the wound" directions with a couple of XX cuts...

like tourniquets, maybe it's time to re evaluate old techniques....as long as no further trauma to the bite site occurs, less venom sounds like a good thing

My understanding is that these days most snake bites are not even treated with anti-venom. Just supportive care.

The guy probably would have done fine doing nothing. IMO, snake bite kits are hokum.

To cop an improper analogy from another thread, one is none - one event doesn't make for a re-examination of fundamentals. One life "saved by x" (unconfirmed) doesn't mean that everyone should start carrying x to save lives. We don't know the doctor, or his general expertise or the basis for saying what he did. We don't even know his name. We aren't quite sure how far he was from treatment, or how he got there. I don't know pit vipers rattlesnakes, but will assume they are fairly venomous, especially 6 footers. There's not a lot to go on really.

The babies can be more dangerous than adults as they may give more venom than 'needed' where as an adult may control amt injected. So its said.

The Sawyer kit works extremely well for snake bites. And bee stings. You can actually see the venom coming out into the suction cup. Don't know where he bought it for ten bucks though. I think they went up to about twenty last time I checked. And all of ours come with that little lymph tourniquet.

I wish I knew more about these. I remember my scouting days first aid with the cross cut x, and how that has been discredited.

Wife and I are venturing into Texas, Colorado, and Arizona snake country on a camping trip in June, and I would like to know what precautions to take short of snake boots.

We have timber rattlers here, but you hardly ever see them.

Hey Byrd. It works in reverse than ayringe. As you depress the plunger it creates a high millibar suction so it draws out the venom rather than injecting something. They come with a variety of cups and easy to use. Last I saw them was sporting goods at wal-mart. well worth the investment if you have allergies insect venom or get a snake bite. The old cut and suck methods were dangerous, nerve damage and infection just two of the potential problems.

I am skeptical. More information would be necessary to come to an informed conclusion. What species of snake? I understand the toxicity of different species of rattle snakes varies by a factor of 100 or so. How much venom was actually injected? A good number of bites are "dry" bites - no venom is transferred. This is one of the reasons why a lot of treatment regimens gain favor.

The doctor's statement sounds a bit over the top. How much experience does he have with snake bites?

When I first came to Arizona and started hiking and climbing, I acquired a snake bite kit. Wore out two of them just carrying them around before folks were advised to not use them. I recall a presentation by a Tucon physician talking about the fifty or so cases he had treated (Thie was back in the 70s). There were two categories of patients - one was young children playing around the home. These were serious, since bites were often on the face. The second category was young males (17-25) who had initiated contact with the critters. Serves them right. Doing SAR around Tucson during my time there, some 500 operations, we had NO instances of snake bite victims.

It is quite easy to avoid snakes. Watch where you step and where you stick your hands. Be cautious when working through thick brush and vegetation. Pay attention to the temperature - this will profoundly influence the activity level of snakes.

Somewhere I have a Cutter venom kit kicking around, although I understand its use is no longer recommended. I no longer bother to carry a snake bite kit; there are far more significant things to include other than a SBK. Rattlesnakes are not unique to deserts or Arizona. They occur in every state in the union except for Maine. There are probably more per acre here in southern California than there are in Arizona (larger prey base).

Rattlesnakes probably provide a net benefit, since they keep rodent populations in check. Rodents may well present more of a hazard to humans than snakes. Think hanta virus and the Black Death. When I encounter a snake, i no longer try to kill it, I go one way and snake goes another. If I do have to dispatch the critter, the most effective tool is a long handled shovel or whatever rock is handy. I save my ammo for more legitimate threats.

Snake bite is vastly overrated as a significant hazard, especially if you use your head.

Hey Hiker.
I thought the same thing about the physicians statement, but two things came to mind. First, the man may have had an allergy to the venom. Second was an old article I read in a magazine when I was a kid. This guy had been handling snakes over thirty years without being bitten. Then one day he got sloppy and a fangs sliced the edge of his thumb. He almost died before he made it to the hospital. He had problem ever after the bite and they estimated that less than one drop of venom had entered the wound. Strange things happen and biology can be a huge factor. Just my humble opinion.