If someone got bit by a snake or other deadly venomous creature on their hand of foot would isolating the poison in that limb by applying a tourniquet be a good/potentially life saving thing to do..?
Logic being the infected blood cannot reach the vital organs/systems granting time to get treatment or anti venom.
If not then why.. ?
In: 19
The newest toxicological guidelines indicate that tourniquets generate way more morbility than doing nothing.
The first thing that should be done is trying to take a picture of the snake from a safe distance, this is to be able to identify which type of snake it was and also which antivenom to use, if that is not possible at least trying to remember a few characteristics of it. Never try to catch it or kill it.
Then the patient has to call the EMS as soon as possible, keep the wound as clean as possible, apply first aid and mark where the bite was and an approximate time in which they were bitten. The idea being to go as soon as possible to the closest hospital to be treated (preferably not driving by themselves).
Things that should NOT be done under any circumstances:
-Trying to suck out the venom (It gets injected into the depth of your dermis and muscles directly, getting absorbed by capillaries in seconds, the only thing you’re doing is increasing the odds of infection)
-Slashing your skin and deep tissues to “drain the venom”. You’re only causing more damage to nerves, muscle and vascular structures.
-Using a tourniquet: It decreases blood flow distally to the tourniquet and causes unnecessary cell death.
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