Posted on 12/01/2010 5:07:57 PM PST by decimon
Should you be the victim of a snakebite, the best thing you can do is get to a hospital as quickly as possible, according to a new review article from the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS). Current medical treatments, including new medications and surgery, if necessary, are far more effective for snakebites than anything you can do on your own.
“Previous generations of antivenin medications were notorious for causing negative systemic reactions,” says Adam W. Anz, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC. “But the antivenins we have available today can not only help avoid long-term damage from the snake venom, but they can also prevent the need for more invasive medical treatment.”
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* Approximately 45,000 snakebite injuries are reported annually in the United States.
* Seventy to 80 percent of snakebites occur in males.
* More than half of snakebites are to the hand(s).
* Most snakebites result from intentional exposure, whether in a professional context (e.g., snake handling) or nonprofessional context (e.g., playing with snakes in the wild).
* Alcohol consumption is involved in the majority of bites, resulting from risky behavior.
* The high correlation between alcohol use and hand injury implies that bites occur when the victim is behaving in an unsafe manner, not when he or she is attempting to evade the snake.
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(Excerpt) Read more at 6.aaos.org ...
Ping
and studies with obvious results
Snake Oil!
Hmmm. I wonder why... ;)
“I always keep a supply of stimulant handy in case I see a snake - which I also keep handy.”- W. C. Fields
This has been the case as long as I’ve known about rattlesnakes — at least 30 years. So probably longer but I heard about it in the 80s. So many myths about rattlers, just like about bats.
Pray.
Yup. Heh.
Slower reaction time.
The high correlation between alcohol use and hand injury implies that bites occur when the victim is behaving in an unsafe manner, not when he or she is attempting to evade the snake.
True, that's why I carry a cat everywhere I go in snake country.
I can't wait for the questions...
5.56mm
Then there is the old joke about...”The doctor says you’re going to die.”
Could be professional courtesy. ;-)
Sure would make me laugh.
Because women (and a sizable percentage of men) are smart enough to leave the damn thing alone. I am not especially afraid of snakes, actually I think they’re pretty cool, but if I see one in the wild, I don’t mess with it. It seems to work out well.
Ask another freeper to tell the story. I want to maintain my welcome around here.
Then there is the old joke about...”The doctor says you’re going to die.”
one of my favorites...
I like snakes and aren’t afraid of them. Whatever the behavior, we all have about an hour to receive treatment. Behavior speculation doesn’t remedy the problem. Most people that fall down are drunk I would speculate.
Hmmmm, reminds me of an old joke about two guys in the desert.....the doctor say’s you gonna die.
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