“Don’t bring the snake with you when you get a snake bite,” sounds like an old aphorism, but in this case the message is literal. Medical workers in Queensland Australia want their snake-bitten patrons to know that bringing the snake in question to emergency facilities is not needed, thank you very much. In fact, it just causes more problems. Patients were bringing the reptiles in thinking that it would be helpful for figuring out the right anti-venom treatment. But snake bite procedure is fairly standard, and most hospital workers don’t know how to identify specific snake species anyways. Plus, you know, the snakes can get loose and inflict more bites. And we don’t want… Snakes on a Vein! Here are the doctor’s orders:
Adam Michael, the director of emergency medicine at Bundaberg Hospital, told the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) that emergency workers at Bundaberg Hospital and other facilities in Queensland’s Wide Bay region had been forced to deal with several venomous snakes this year because snake bite victims brought the reptiles in, thinking it would help them determine if they needed anti-venom.
According to ABC, in early April, an individual brought an eastern brown snake in a plastic food container after the reptile bit them. The eastern brown snake has “extremely potent” venom, per the University of Melbourne.
Michael said the plastic container containing the snake was not well-secured.
“The staff got a fright and the serious consequence of that is it delays people’s time to treatment,” he told the outlet.
Along with putting hospital workers and patients at risk, snake bite victims who bring snakes to the emergency room also put themselves in even more danger.
“Any attempts to either get close to a snake to catch or to kill, or to photograph the snake, just puts people at risk,” Michael said.
Geoff Isbister, a clinical toxicology researcher at the University of Newcastle, told ABC that bringing the snake that bit you to the hospital is not helpful for treatment because most hospital workers don’t know how to correctly identify a snake. Hospital workers do know how to appropriately treat a snake bite, regardless of the species that inflicted the wound.
“We can determine if you need anti-venom and, if so, what anti-venom you need based on clinical signs, blood tests, and also the snake venom detection kits that we keep here at the hospital,” he said.
To help hospital workers with this process, Michael said it’s important to “apply a firm pressure immobilization bandage” to the wound but not to wash it.
Wide Bay Hospital & Health Service, which includes Bundaberg Hospital, shared tips on how to handle snake bites last year after experiencing issues with snakes in the emergency.
The health service advised avoiding washing the wound, firmly bandaging the wound area, and keeping the affected area immobilized to slow the spread of venom.
“Applying a tourniquet, cutting the wound, sucking the venom or bringing the snake with you to emergency are not recommended,” the agency added.
Ok, I know it’s just different cultural colloquialisms, but I love that chief among the hospital director’s concerns was that patients not give the emergency workers “a fright.” That wording tickled my Yosemite Sam a-talkin’ sensibilities. It also took me right back to The Parent Trap remake when Lisa Ann Walter’s Chessy unravels the twin switcheroo, all because Lindsay Lohan’s Annie-pretending-to-be-Hallie says “Chessy, you gave me a fright!” So no fright-giving!! Especially not at Bundaberg Hospital! And speaking of, I have to say I’m a bit surprised that Australians need a reminder on proper snake etiquette, given how ubiquitous the critters are Down Under. The country is home to 140 species of land snakes and around 30 sea snakes. And all 170 of those species don’t want to be bothered by annoying humans! Don’t be an idiot, mate; leave snakes alone to avoid a bite, leave them alone to get treated for a bite. And for Pete’s sake, if you ever have a legitimate reason to transport a snake, don’t put it in your lunch tupperware.
I regularly stay on a property that’s about500 acres so not big but big enough and we are riddled with snakes. For 5 months of the year it’s hard going for a walk because it’s potentially dangerous. Especially in long grass. Most of the Australian population live in cities and never see a snake. And the idea of picking it up to take to hospital is just ludicrous! You don’t touch them or go near them. I have a snake bite kit but thankfully there’s a hospital 20 mins away.
This will be one of the best things I read about today. Thanks Rosie
My favourite Australian snake attack story was one where a carpet python launched out of a bush by the family swimming pool, coiled itself around the toddler son and took both of them into the pool. Father and grandfather had to leap into action – and the pool – to save the small child and the father’s biggest complaint was that he’d just settled down on the sun lounger with a beer and had to get up again.
Yikes, I am going to have nightmares about this.
Definitely don’t google snakes in toilets then.
Our next door neighbor’s 21-year old just returned from a 6-month working vacation in Australia. When asked what he thought of the country he said:
“Well, all of nature there is designed to kill you, basically.”
So this article checks out, IMO.
Straya! Who can beat you 😂
Giving credit to the idea that people might not be thinking clearly in the middle of a medical emergency caused by a venomous snake bite, wouldn’t it be much easier and quicker to take a picture of the snake rather than spend the time capturing it for identification?!!!!
Do Americans not say that something “gave me a fright”?
We don’t use it as a noun as much, but more as an adjective like, “That frightened me,” or “Don’t be frightened.”
‘Almost had a heart attack!’, is what I used. Until my father actually had a heart attack. Then I thought, maybe that’s not the best thing to say?
CAROLE it’s more common to say “that scared (the sh!t outta) me!”, I don’t use the word fright or hear others say it either 😄
I’m Australian but live in the U.K. now. The number of people who have asked me how I survived with the ‘snakes and spiders and sharks’ is astounding. And spiders here aren’t poisonous but the Brits are terrified of them! It’s slightly amusing.
“Snakes on a vein” cracked me up.
“…sea snakes.” SEA snakes?! In my whole protected urban life, I’d never heard of sea snakes — before today. Gulp. Cringe. Shudder. My fantasy trip to New Zealand, Australia, and Indonesia just got a bit of a jolt.
New Zealanders will be happy to tell you they have no snakes!
I’m an Aussie living in NZ and can confirm the only real danger you’ll face if you go running into a paddock here is a bee, wasp or rabbit burrow (sprained ankle!). Delightful stuff as a parent. Meanwhile, back home on the farm in Aus we used to have frogs in the toilet, snakes in and out of the house, crocs in the river and spiders bloody everywhere! I still think North America and Africa are more terrifying with their animals though. You have snakes and crocs (or alligators) PLUE wild cats, bears or hippos, etc respectively … that’s scary stuff!
In all fairness, all the advice I’ve seen about spider bites is that you should try and capture the spider if possible to bring to the ER with you. Maybe people think the same about snakes?
Also, I love that Australians are all, oh, I’ve been bitten by a poisonous snake, I’ll just grab it and put it in my tupperware. LOL.
This is the most Australian story I’ve ever read.
I dont think my daughter who is an RN in an ED in far north Queensland would not appreciate a snake turning up with a patient or would the other nurses and Drs. Folk do daft stuff, so you never know what to expect.
In her 6 years there she has seen very few snakes and very few spiders but who knows what lurks in dark corners ….
One of my earliest memories is a snake coming across the road onto our front lawn from the bushland opposite and watching my Dad out the window as he went and dealt with it with a shovel. It would be illegal now, they’re a protected species now, but that was how they were dealt with back then.
I’m in inner Melbourne (suburbs) and haven’t ever seen a snake near/around/on my house, but before my dog passed away, I was always really careful to stay close to him when out because I’ve definitely seen a couple at the larger park I took him to. One was sunbathing on a rock next to the creek, and the other was just moving across the path.
It’s a reality in Australia! Also gotta watch out for the venomous spiders.