VANCOUVER SUN (British Columbia) 28 August 10 Avoid kissing the snakes in the Okanagan. Yes, really (Pamela Fayerman)
(This is an excerpt from Vancouver Sun medical reporter Pamela Fayerman's blog, which can be found on The Sun's website, www.vancouversun.com)
If you live in the Okanagan or are going to the splendid wine and recreational region any time soon, avoid kissing (or disturbing in any manner) the snakes indigenous to the area.
Because of its dry climate, the region is home to many snakes, especially rattlesnakes, which occasionally bite if they feel threatened. More people go to emergency departments in the region for snakebites than in any other part of B.C.
Doctors who treat such patients say some of those bites occur when idiotic people pick them up or kiss them. (Yes, you read that right. Doctors say people really do such things).
I obtained data from the Interior Health region on the ER hospitalizations for snakebites so far this year: To date, 13 people have been treated. Last year, there were 16 in the whole year. Those who are bitten must be monitored in hospital and sometimes given $1,500-per-vial antivenin serum to prevent serious illness and save limbs. Up to 30 vials may be required for each bite. Dry bites are those that graze, but don't puncture, the skin. Wet bites are less common but they are considered a far more serious threat.
There are some popular misconceptions about how to treat snakebites. In a recent Medical Post article, doctors were advised to warn patients against sucking venom out of the wounds because then they will be absorbing it into their mouths, potentially compromising airways.
Until snake-bitten patients get to hospital they should stay calm for blood pressure control and keep the affected body part immobilized and below the level of the heart.
Avoid kissing the snakes in the Okanagan. Yes, really