New advice on snake bites after 10-year study: Royal Flying Doctor Service

RFDS south eastern section said the study had challenged many long-held perceptions about where bites occurred and how to treat them.

It now says there is no need to identify the type of snake – and that to try to do this could be needlessly dangerous.

The Australian Snakebite Project is the most comprehensive ever carried out.

It involved more than 1500 patients and collated snakebite data from 2005-2015. 

“The publication of this study is very timely as the warm, dry winter and sudden rise in temperatures has brought snakes out early this year,” senior flight nurse Tracey King said.

“As venomous snakes are found in every state and territory, we urge everyone – not just those in the warmer outback locations – to be vigilant.”

Ms King said there were about 3000 reported snakebites each year in Australia, leading to 500 hospital admissions and an average of two deaths.

In attacks in which the snake was identified, the brown snake was the most common biter (41 per cent), followed by the tiger snake (17 per cent) and red-bellied black snake (16 per cent). 

There-quarters of the people bitten are males aged in their 30s, and most snake bites occur near houses, not in the bush.

Half of all bites occurred while people were out walking; gardening or trying to catch a snake were the other most common scenarios.

While few cases are fatal, the RFDS said the effects of a snakebite could be debilitating and far-reaching.

Three-quarters of victims experienced venom-induced consumption coagulopathy, which causes blood clotting and life-threatening haemorrhages.

Acute kidney injuries, brain and muscle damage, and cardiac arrest were other possible side-effects. 

Ms King said the most important advice was to act quickly after even a possible bite.

“Surprisingly, they’re often painless and may go unnoticed, as tissue damage is mostly light: lacerations, scratches or light bruising along with some bleeding or swelling,” she said.

“As over 90 per cent of snakebites we found to occur on the upper and lower limbs, these are the places to check first.

“Common symptoms include an unexplained collapse, vomiting and abdominal pain, bleeding or paralysis.” 

Ms King said it was no longer necessary to be able to identify the type of snake.

“Staying in the area after an attack can be dangerous, and recent advances in medication mean we can now treat any snakebite with a generic polyvalent anti-venom.”

The most important do’s and don’ts include: