A life-threatening encounter with a tiger snake

Australia has over 100 species of venomous snakes. For the 3,000 people bitten by them each year, an effective snake bite bandage is a vital first aid consumable that can save their lives.

John’s snake bite encounter

On Thursday, 14 January 2021 at 9:35am, John* was bitten on his right leg by a tiger snake while working in a paddock in a remote, rural area. Once it was safe for him to do so, he immediately sat down and called for help from his colleagues.

Within minutes, they had called 000 and arrived with an AeroForm Snake Bite Bandage. Because of their first aid knowledge, John’s colleagues applied the bandage using the recommended pressure immobilisation technique (PIT).

They:

1. Removed his boot and very firmly wrapped the AeroForm bandage from his toes up – to cover his whole leg.
2. Checked that the indicators on the bandage were square as they applied it. This ensured that the bandage was tight enough to minimise lymphatic movement, but not so tight as to prevent blood flow.
3. Avoided moving John unnecessarily, to reduce the speed at which the venom could travel around the body.

By the time paramedics arrived 35 minutes later, John was experiencing a number of symptoms, including:

• Sweating and feeling hot,
• Increased heart rate,
• Burning sensation around the wound,
• Abdominal cramping,
• Nausea,
• Headaches, and
• Increased thirst.

John’s treatment at the hospital

After being transported to intensive care at a nearby hospital, doctors initially administered antiemetics to prevent vomiting, fluids for pain relief and ice packs on John’s lymph nodes.

While John was closely monitored for the progression of the venom throughout his body, he fortunately didn’t require anti-venom. As a precaution, he was fitted with defibrillation pads and adrenaline was on-hand – in case of either cardiac arrest or anaphylaxis.

Thanks to his calm response to the situation, the timely response of his colleagues and the correct application of PIT with the AeroForm Snake Bite Bandages, John made it through his life-threatening situation better than many.

Andrea*, the paramedic on the scene, said, “I didn’t save your life. It was your colleagues applying this snake bite bandage and keeping you still that saved your life.”

She followed up by saying, “The Snake Bite Indicator Bandage is worth its weight in gold. If it weren’t for its application, John would have been in much more danger”.

AeroForm Snake Bite Bandage

The snake bite bandage used in John’s case is ideal for the pressure immobilisation technique that’s recommended for snake bites by the Australian Resuscitation Council. It helps with both achieving the correct pressure around the limb and covering the entire limb – which are both crucial for this method.

The indicators along the AeroForm bandage help the user identify when they have properly wrapped the bandage around the patient’s limb to achieve the correct tightness. It’s also wider and longer than standard bandages, to cover an adult’s leg with one roll.

Find out more about AeroForm Snake Bite Bandages with Indicators here.

*Names have been changed to protect the individuals’ confidentiality.