TAMPA TRIBUNE (Florida) 28 August 03 Expert Offers Tips For Dealing With Snakebites (Thomas W. Krause)
Tampa: Ernie Jillson knows a thing or two about snakes.
A lieutenant assigned to the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Anti-Venom Bank, Jillson helps transport antivenin wherever it needs to go. On Aug. 16, he was in Tampa, dropping off a few vials of black mamba antivenin for a snake breeder whose pet reptile got a little vicious and nipped at him - five or six times. Without the antivenin, the man had about a 98 percent chance of death, Jillson said.
``A black mamba can drop an elephant,'' he said.
Florida's subtropical climate provides a healthy environment for 47 snake species. Of those, only six are poisonous: the water moccasin (also called the cottonmouth), the pygmy rattlesnake, the coral snake, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, the canebrake (or timber) rattlesnake and the copperhead. Florida's indigenous poisonous snakes are not nearly as dangerous as the African- native black mamba.
About 7,000 to 8,000 people in the United States are bitten by poisonous snakes each year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. On average, eight to 15 bites are fatal.
Jillson offers one key piece of advice for anyone happening upon one of the slithery Floridian creatures:
``When you see the snakes out in the wild,'' he said, ``don't try to free-handle it like all those knuckleheads on TV.''
Jillson said he has tended to many snakebite victims who thought they knew how to hold a snake properly. They were wrong.
To keep snakes away from populated areas, Jillson said, people should keep their grass cut low and their property clean from piled rubbish. When working in the yard, wear leather gloves, he said. Even light-duty gloves will divert the snakes' fangs.
If a yard is populated with toads, frogs and rodents, snakes are likely present.
``If the food is there, that's where they want to be,'' Jillson said.
Water moccasins, as the name suggests, love to hang out in and near the water. They feed on fish, Jillson said. Fishermen should watch out for them - especially if they have just pulled in a catch. The snakes can smell the fish, he said.
If bitten, remain calm, Jillson said. Although it might be difficult when you've just had a venomous snake take a swipe at you, remaining calm will help keep the blood flow moving slowly and will keep your head clear as you try to get help.
Over the years, many techniques have been established to prevent the spread of snake venom. Use none of them, Jillson said.
Don't cut the bite marks. Don't try to suck out the venom. Don't use a tourniquet.
Snakes native to the United States have a venom that destroys blood, tissue and bones, Jillson said. If a tourniquet is placed above a bitten hand, the venom will concentrate in that hand, increasing the possible need for amputation.
``We would rather let [the venom] spread over the whole body,'' Jillson said.
That might sound bad, but really it isn't. As the venom spreads, the snakebite victim will have extra time to get to a hospital. When antivenin is injected, the poison will be neutralized.
Snakebite victims should immobilize the area that was bitten and should keep it lower than their heart to keep the poison moving slowly.
As soon as possible after a bite, victims should call either 911 or the national poison control hot line at 1-800-222-1222.
Expert Offers Tips For Dealing With Snakebites