How to Treat a Rattlesnake Bite

Guide Note

Rattlesnakes are one of four venomous snakes found naturally in the United States. While their bites are serious, they are rarely life threatening if people take the proper steps and seek medical treatment immediately. It is essential that you know what to do and what not to do if you are entering into rattlesnake territory.

Table of Contents

Rattlesnake Bite Tips
  1. Gopher snakes will emulate rattlesnakes but are nonvenomous.
  2. Always take a snake bite kit with you when hiking or camping.
  3. Death from a poisonous snake bite is rare.
  4. One in four bites are dry bites, which means no venom was injected.
  5. Snakes can still bite for an hour after they are dead.

Disclaimer:

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor before using the information presented here.

Introduction

(Creative Commons photo by LOLscientist)
(Creative Commons photo by LOLscientist)
  • Many people probably think they know what to do if someone has been bitten by a rattlesnake. Do you? If you answered "cut an X into the bite and suck out the venom" you are not only wrong, but you could be causing more harm than good.

Symptoms of a Rattlesnake Bite

  • If you're bitten by a rattlesnake, chances are you're going to know it. However, because it is good to know what can occur after a snakebite, here are some of the major symptoms:

What Not to Do

  • As you go through the list below of steps to take when bitten by a rattlesnake, you may notice that some tips you might have heard before are absent. The fact is, several things that used to be common practice are no longer done because they can actually cause more harm than good. Therefore, it is good to know a few things you shouldn't do.
(Creative Commons photo by Clinton & Charles Robertson)
(Creative Commons photo by Clinton & Charles Robertson)
  1. Do not cut the area. The additional tissue damage increases the diffusion of the toxins in the body and causes excessive bleeding.7
  2. Do not apply ice or pack the bite in ice. Recent studies indicate that application of cold or ice will make the injury worse.8
  3. Do not apply a tourniquet. This can cause gangrene and lead to the loss of the limb.9
  4. Do not immerse the wound in water.4
  5. Do not administer alcohol or drugs (including pain medications unless a doctor advises you to do otherwise).5
  6. Do not allow the victim to drink caffeinated beverages.4
  7. Do not apply electric shock.9
  8. Do not use your mouth to suck out the venom. (See When Help is Not Readily Available)

Call 911 Immediately

  • While this should always be the first thing you do, it will be beneficial if you can tell the 911 operator what type of snake caused the bite (see below). However, do not delay calling for help while you look for the snake.

Identifying the Snake

  • It's always helpful if you can identify the type of snake that bit you. However, do not endanger yourself while doing so. While you may feel justified in killing the snake, you should remember two things:
  1. The snake was acting out of defense not aggression.
  2. Snakes can still bite for up to an hour after death. It is a reflex action. In fact, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 15 percent of patients treated at a clinic for rattlesnake bites had been bitten by dead snakes—two were even bitten by decapitated snakes.10
  • If the snake is in a residential area and you are concerned with people's safety, call and report it to animal control at your earliest opportunity.

What to Do While Waiting for Help To Arrive

  • After you have called for emergency assistance, you can do the following while waiting for help to arrive:
  1. Stay calm. Keep the victim calm as well.
  2. Have the victim lie down. If possible, raise the heart above the bite area.4
  3. Keep the victim as still as possible. The more the bite site is moved the more damage is done as the venom is spread through the body.8
  4. Remove any jewelry, shoes, or tight fitting clothing near the bite area.
  5. Wash the bite area with soap and water.
  6. Apply a cold, wet cloth over the bite.9 Do not apply ice.
  7. Keep the victim warm.7
  8. Monitor vital signs and watch for signs of shock.11

When Help is Not Readily Available

(Creative Commons photo by Tad Arensmeier)
(Creative Commons photo by Tad Arensmeier)
  • If help is more than 30 minutes away additional steps may need to be taken. These steps include:
  1. Immobilize the extremity with a splint or similar device.
  2. Using a scarf or belt, apply a constricting band about two inches above the bite. Band should be between the bite and the heart. This will lymphatic flow, not blood.7 Here are a few guidelines when applying this procedure:
    1. You should be able to slip one finger between the skin and the band.
    2. You should be able to feel a pulse in the limb below the band.
    3. Loosen the band for a minute every 15 to 20 minutes.
    4. Readjust the bands if necessary because of swelling.7
  3. If the victim needs to walk out of an area, wait 20 to 30 minutes. This will let the venom localize at the site. Do not hurry, exertion will only stimulate the circulation of the poison.8

When to Suction out the Venom

  • In the movies, the most common treatment for snakebite is to cut open the wound and suck out the venom. While this is very dramatic and always seems to do the trick on screen, the reality is a bit different. Sucking out the venom is seldom effective and should only be done in rare instances.7 In fact, many experts advise against it.12
  • You should only consider suctioning out the venom if the bite occurred less than five minutes ago and help is over thirty minutes away. Sucking on the snakebite venom should only be done with a special suction cup device that is sold in snakebite kits. Do not try to suck out the venom with your mouth,7 as bacteria can cause infection.9

Conclusion

  • If you or someone you know has been bitten by a rattlesnake, do not panic. A bite does not mean you have been injected with venom. Twenty-five percent of pit viper (which include the rattlesnake) bites are considered "dry bites," which means they are non-venomous.8 Furthermore, rattlesnakes do not usually inject a lot of venom into defensive bites. However, it is safer to consider all bites as venomous until medical personnel tell you otherwise.

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References for How To Treat a Rattlesnake Bite

  1. ↑ Encarta: Rattlesnake
  2. ↑ USA Today: Rattlesnake stowed away in luggage bites man (March 24, 2008) WARNING: Pop-ups
  3. ↑ FOXNews.com: Mrs. Tennessee America Bitten by Rattlesnake, Saved by Mrs. Iowa (August 30, 2007)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 CDC Natural Disasters: How to Prevent or Respond to a Snake Bite
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Snake bites
  6. ↑ ABC News: Rattlesnake Bite Victims Showing Extreme Symptoms
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 North Carolina State University: Treating Snake Bites
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Trail Blazer: Rattlesnake!
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 College of Canyons: Advice on Rattlesnake Safety; Latest on Snake Bite First-Aid August 22, 2006
  10. ↑ BNET: News of the Wild - Impact Of Humans On Ecology; Bites by Dead Snakes; Birds and Coyotes; Bird Deaths Caused by Communication Towers; Birds and Pesticides (December-January 1999)
  11. ↑ University of Maryland Medical Center: First Aid: Snake Bites
  12. ↑ NPR: Surprising Surge in Fatal Arizona Snake Bites


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