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THE TENNESSEAN (Nashville, Tennessee) 09 July 06 Company offers tips to steer clear of snakes (Larry Woody)
Of the estimated 9,000 bites from venomous snakes each year in the U.S., only about a dozen prove fatal.
That's no consolation if you're one of the dozen, however, and that's why a company that manufactures anti-venom has issued some safety guidelines for outdoorsmen this summer.
The antivenom is called Ovine and is stocked at most hospitals. The company has a Web site, snakebitenews.com, which offers information about prevention and treatment.
There are three poisonous species in Tennessee: the copperhead, rattlesnake and cottonmouth. The latter two are especially dangerous and capable of injecting sufficient venom to kill an adult human. Even bites that are not fatal can require months of treatment and leave lifelong disabilities, including the loss of limbs.
Basic safety tips:
• Take precautions in snaky areas. Many bites occur when a snake is accidentally stepped on or disturbed. Other bites occur when a person attempts to kill or capture a snake.
• When encountering a snake, maintain a safe distance. Snakes can strike about half their body length. Never pick up a "dead" snake. The snake can writhe, and the fangs of a dead snake can still inject venom.
• A cell phone is the best first aid. Immediately call for medical help, or rush the victim to the nearest medical facility — whichever is quicker.
• Keep the patient as calm and immobile as possible. Don't apply a tourniquet or cut the wound. Don't waste time trying to kill or capture the snake for identification.
• If bitten, don't panic. Some bites are "dry" — no venom is injected — and the great majority are not life-threatening, especially if treatment is sought.
Company offers tips to steer clear of snakes

Nothing like the press to gets things totally messed up...

Al
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Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.