Wilderness Snakebite Protocol

1. Scene safety
2. Take photo of snake from 6 feet away if possible
3. Keep victim calm
4. Remove constricting clothing and jewelry
5. Cleanse wound and apply sterile dressing
6. Splint body part as if fractured, in neutral position
7. Maintain hydration and monitor swelling; use pen to mark and time the border of advancing edema often enough to gauge progression
8. DO NOT give aspirin or NSAIDS for pain control
9. Evacuate: if close to trailhead and minor symptoms, slowly walk out; if hours from trailhead or severe symptoms, keep victim at rest with body part at or below level of heart, fill out incident report form and send someone for help