Image Copyright Shine, 1991.
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Image Copyright Shine, 1991. |
There are 500-3000 cases of suspected snake bites a year in Australia, and only roughly two result in death. (Thorpe et al., 1997). The extremely low mortality rate can be attriubuted to dry bites and the fact that of the some 200 Australian snakes, only 12 can kill a human. Even in the event that you are bitten by one of the twelve deadly snakes, the bite, if properly treated, will rarely result in death. The first thing to remember is NOT to wash the wound after being bitten, especially if you didn't get a look at the snake that bit you. Anti-venin is species specific, and an ELISA-VDK test can be administered by any major hospital to determine the species that injected the venom, but only if there is still venom on the wound. Secondly, if an elastic bandage is wrapped tightly around the bitten limb, symptoms can be postponed for days. The reason is Elapid venom does not enter the blood stream immediately after being bitten. Instead, it diffuses through local tissue, is collected in lymphatic vessels, and the lymphatic vessels then transport the venom into the blood stream. Since lymphatic vessels run close to the skin, an elastic bandage wrapped around the bitten limb cuts down on lymphatic flow, effectively preventing the venom from entering the blood stream. Finally, lymphatic flow is a consequence of muscle movement, so immobilizing the limb can also effectively limit venom from entering the bloodstream (Shine 1991). |
This page is an assignment for Biology 312, Animal Physiology, and is
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