Comment: Snake Bite Treatment

Rather than tell us, have you told that very reputable organization the RFDS on which our article is based? If better information has come to hand then their information needs to be updated for sure so that their isn't a conflict between the two.

It's disapointing that some people advertise their onw websites by taking a cheap shot at others.

Maybe Julian is right, but it is strange that he didn't contact medical authorities first to let them know about this.

Julian,

No offence intended but your private website (and the internet generally) is hardly a reputable source. It is common for websites to use some reputable persons' name to give them credibilty even though this person may not endorse this.

... so unless you can provide a link to a website that ends with ".gov.au" or of a well respected university, then people will give your suggestion as much credibilty as the emails they receive which start with "FW:"

R.

Without taking the time to read your references right now, i have found slight variations in how the bandaging is to be applied in different publications and first aid courses - but the end result is the same. This was discussed at length in a thread not so long ago.

I have relied on the advice of the Australian Venom Research Unit, where the technique was developed by Professor Struan Sutherland. Pressure-immobilisation was initially developed to treat snakebite, but it is also applicable to bites and stings by some other venomous creatures.

The AVRU did not give me permission to place a printable chart on my website, but only to give links to the page on AVRU, so that people see the article in its entirety, and where it will always be up to date. They also list the other bites and stings where pressure bandaging is to be used and those where it should not be used.AVRU First Aid for Snake Bite

Many other organisations including Government health sites also rely on AVRU as the ultimate authority.

Motherhen

I did my St John remote area first aid course last week.....it was the same as mentioned in the article. It was also the same 12 months ago with St John.
So maybe St John and RFDS are wrong ?

Seems like the bandaging advice has been refined in recent times. The site below also refers to the AVRU website (link out of date) but its own advice (similar to the EO article) now conflicts with AVRU.

http://www.anaes.med.usyd.edu.au/venom/snakebite.html

The following official advice from NT Health actually RECOMMENDS THE USE OF ELASTICISED BANDAGES because they remain firm over longer periods and the pressure they generate is closer to the optimal. It dates from 2009 but appears to be current best practice in the NT.

http://remotehealthatlas.nt.gov.au/0912_snakebite_bandages_communique(2).pdf

There is a link in this PDF to a study which states, inter alia:
"PB [pressure bandaging] was poorly done by the general public and health professionals. Crepe bandages rarely generated optimal pressures compared with elasticized bandages, but training did improve participants' ability to apply elasticized bandages. PB recommendations should be modified to specify appropriate bandage types."

Obviously in practice you do the best you can with whatever you have.

Thank you all for the discussion on this subject, stimulated by our Snake Bite treatement article. Julian, just to clarify.... when you submit comments or questions into our published articles, a copy is sent to us (site operators) and a copy posted to the Forum - for exactly this type of reason.

The immediate response from site users is often very productive. The initial antagonist replies you received were because our Forum can often be misused by companies wishing to inappropriately use our Forum to promote their own websites, and your initial comment was a bit abrupt which seems to have stirred up our loyal site users. Self-promoting businesses are not accepted here because the site is fully funded by paying advertisers/members. Our loyal/regular audience is strong - with over 12 years of operation their feedback and input has been very influential in the development of the site rules/structure/content so it's the collective "we" you are talking to.

We have decided to keep this post visible in the Forum, as it ensures people reading the comment in the article have access to view this additional information/discussion.

Michelle Martin
Content Director

So what is the correct way?

Rich

Last thing anyone needs is to be paralysed by fear as to what the correct amount of breaths to comperssions or compressions only is it - which way do you bandage????



get in go hard as per your training and knowledge

your patiant will have a far far better chance than someone standing around trying to sort through any conflicting info

In my cupboards I have a wooden (and a plastic)cylinder.
Upon opening the cylinder in two there is a medal wire looking piece that has a blade as sharp as a scapel on it's end.
The other end has what appears to be gunpowder.
The instructions say (basically) cut, suck, put powder on wound and light.



You mean to tell me this is no longer valid?


Techniques sure have changed over the years.






PS.
I know this is not the current technique BEFORE someone thinks i'm serious.