Outdoor enthusiasts frequently keep snake bite kits in their vehicles, tents, backpacks and purses – these kits can easily be found for purchase and often feature a plunger-style suction device to eliminate bites.
Medical experts no longer advise using these devices as treatments for snake bites as studies have demonstrated they do more harm than good.
Suction Devices
A snake bite kit contains various emergency medical supplies designed to treat bites in the field until help arrives, such as suction devices for extracting poisonous fluid from wounds, scalpels for draining fluid from drain sites and tourniquets that stop blood flow to bite sites. Snake bite kits can be found widely throughout outdoor stores and online retailers and come in different styles such as basic kits and more advanced options that contain CPR masks and venom extractor suction pumps.
Prior to recently, most snake bite kits relied on the old cut, suck and tie strategy for treating snakebite victims in the wild. Most kits featured small suction devices for sucking up fluid from wounds as well as constriction devices that should be wrapped around affected body parts to constrict them before use of a scalpel to open wounds and treat antivenom in order to neutralize species specific venom for efficient treatment of bites from poisonous snakes. Unfortunately, reality shows otherwise; antivenom is currently the only effective treatment solution available for treating bites from poisonous snakebite victims in wild settings;
Venom travels quickly through your bloodstream after being injected, and is unlikely to remain near its source until help arrives if help arrives late; in that instance, suction devices might have no lasting impact as enough venom may already have left the bite site before any impactful suction device can take hold. Furthermore, these may not capture enough to prevent shock that could prove fatal.
After being stung by either a snake or bee, to maximize your chances of survival it is imperative to follow appropriate first aid steps and await help to arrive. This means remaining calm, seeking shelter immediately and taking steps such as taking off clothing to reduce swelling. Ammonia inhalants may also help revive unconscious individuals if needed; for the ultimate preparation a bite and bee sting kit may be added as part of camping, hiking or hunting gear to prepare yourself in case anything unexpected arises.
Constrictor Bands
The kit uses a venom extractor suction pump designed specifically for treating snake bites and bee stings in emergencies. This pump’s design helps reduce the effects of venom within minutes after an incident has taken place, minimizing potential medical complications.
Venom extractors work by applying pressure on the area that was bitten and using suction to draw out any remaining venom through suction device. They also come equipped with sterile scalpels, tourniquets and ammonia wipes for stabilizing bite wounds and keeping them clean – this complete snake bite and bee sting kit can serve both as an emergency first aid kit as well as supplement another first aid kit.
When snake bite kits first hit the market, they were touted as an effective means of preventing death from venomous snake bites in remote locations without immediate medical care. But recent studies have demonstrated that these kits may actually not be effective at extracting venom from wounds; some experts even consider them dangerous for use.
Suction devices may actually do more damage than good by raising heart rates at bite sites and speeding up circulation of venom into wounds more rapidly, making removal by suction device more challenging. Furthermore, their effectiveness must be maximized within minutes after bite to ensure optimal use.
Snake bite kits have not proven very helpful in reducing deaths caused by snake venom, as most deaths result from complications or too much time has elapsed before receiving antivenom treatment. Therefore, it is crucial that victims seek medical care as soon as they have been bitten in order to receive timely antivenom treatment and remain alive. It is therefore imperative that after being bitten someone quickly seek medical advice at a hospital.
Avoiding venomous snake bites by remaining calm and viewing any wild animal from a safe distance, without in any way provocation them. In case of being bitten, be sure to call 911 immediately and remain still as moving may increase heart rates, spreading more venom throughout your body and possibly leading to severe or life-threatening symptoms.
CPR Face Shield
Hikers and campers know the risks associated with snake bites are real; even when seen from a safe distance, being bitten may still occur. When this happens, having a first aid kit containing everything necessary to treat wounds quickly and avoid shock is essential until professional medical assistance arrives.
Many outdoor stores and people still purchase snake bite kits, which typically consist of suction devices, scalpel blades and elastic tourniquets. First aid manuals often recommend such devices as effective treatments against venomous snake bites; however, these methods have proven ineffective; instead antivenom administered by trained medical personnel should be the preferred course of action.
One common snake bite kit combines a suction device and constrictor band. The suction device suctions out venom while slowing blood flow; however, it cannot stop bleeding completely. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), use this kit only when necessary and call for help immediately after use.
One option for treating snake bites is a kit which only uses a suction device to extract the venomous bites, much smaller and lighter than surgical vacuum pumps; this device can also be used on hands and feet as well as extract insect stings from bees, wasps, scorpions, or mosquitoes.
VENOM LOCC(tm), an innovative new device for treating snake bites, has proven more effective than tourniquets or suction devices in treating bites from snakes. The VENOM LOCC works by compressing an arm or leg bitten by snake to block its flow up the extremity and into systemic circulation – thus avoiding shock!
The VENOM LOCC first aid kit can be found in different forms and is an invaluable addition to camping or hiking gear kits, especially in rural settings where venomous snakes may be prevalent. Police and firefighters who respond to emergencies in remote settings should carry it as it provides crucial support when dealing with snake bites or other life-threatening injuries caused by snakebites are often called out with it as well.
Wound Dressings
Snake bite kits provide you with all of the tools required to treat an aggressive or potentially lethal snake or Funnel Web Spider bite, from first aid supplies (venom suction pump and CPR face shield) through to CPR face shields and sizes and styles to suit individual needs. They’re ideal for outdoor activities like camping, hiking, 4WD driving and bushwalking among many others.
Snake bite kits generally consist of suction devices designed to extract venom from wounds. These kits generally include multiple different size suction cups, lymph constrictors and possibly antiseptic swabs in order to draw poison into them and safely extract it for extraction. Pumping devices operate similarly to asthma inhalers – drawing in poison so as to ensure safe and efficient extraction.
These pumps are typically employed to treat stings and bites of all sorts, not only snake bites. While bee and wasp stings are most frequently treated this way, spider bites may also require such action. Furthermore, these pumps can be particularly helpful for people suffering from allergies to stings or bites as it provides faster relief than injecting antihistamines directly.
These devices are only truly effective during the initial minutes following a snake bite, when poison is still at the surface of wound. Once it has entered your bloodstream and spread throughout, sucking it out is more challenging and even more so if bitten area contains muscles designed to distribute poison quickly into body.
VENOM LOCC is an innovative new snake bite kit that doesn’t rely on suction or tourniquets; this device compresses soft tissues around bite sites instead of the entire arm that was attacked, holding in place any venom that has been released and giving victims time to reach medical facilities as quickly as possible.
The VENOM LOCC Snake Bite Kit comes packaged in a lightweight, water resistant 600D Oxford polyester bag designed for attaching it to belts, backpacks, hiking gear or mountain bikes. A smaller soft kit version is also available and suitable for quick storage in pockets or attaching directly onto equipment on-the-go.