HCFI Update:What not to do in snake poisoning

In the monsoon season, snake bites are common. Most of these bites are by non-poisonous snakes. In a country like India, most people are misled by Bollywood movies showing a typical scene where the hero saves the heroine by giving an incision and then sucks the poison and spits it out. “This is what should not be done”, said Padma Shri & Dr. B.C. Roy National Awardee, Dr. KK Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India and MTNL Perfect Health Mela.

Dr. Aggarwal said that methods such as incision, oral sucking, mechanical sucking devices, Cryotherapy, surgery and electric shock therapies have been widely used but are medically not recommended.

A common misconception depicted in the movies is that one should apply tourniquet, suck out the poison and spit it out. Medically, this approach is strongly discouraged as it can damage the nerves, tendons, blood vessels and lead to infections.

Venom removed by suction is minimal and clinically does not prevent snake bite complications. Many studies have shown that mechanical suction device reduces the total body venom burden by only 2%.  

First aid involves removing the patient from the vicinity of the snake. Keep the patient warm, rested and reassured. The wound should be cleaned with soap and water. One should not give drugs and alcohol as it may confound with clinical assessment. Efforts should be made to identify the snake and the patient should be transported to the nearest medical facility as quickly as possible.