SNAKE BITE KIT

Dear Myersco,
I'm uncertain if the website and product you mention is intended to be serious or in jest.....
But for the record the treatment of Australian snakebite (and funnel web spider bite) is pressure / immobilization. The affected body part should be wrapped in a bandage at the tightness of a sprained ankle, the part splinted to prevent movement and the victim transferred to a medical facility where anti-venom can be sourced. Survival can be virtually assurred.
Red back spider bite does not require pressure-immobilzation (as the venom is painful and slow acting) but the victim should be transferred to a medical facility without delay.
Box jellyfish and blue - ringed octopus envenomation requires attempting to cleanse the area with vinegar and the likelihood of being able to rapidly institute cardio- pulmonary resuscitation (chest compressions and mouth to mouth ventilation).
Arterial tourniquets, suction devices, incsions or even driving you Toyota Landcruiser at high speeds off-road have been known to be of NO value in treatment of Australian envenomation for at least the last 20 years.
See for instance http://tinyurl.com/9xj48
Cheers,
Brad.

I fully understand your point.
I ask myself if I was bitten out in the bush and applied a pressure bandage how long do I have to get to a medical facility? I may be two or more hours away. Will the pressure bandage contain the poison long enough? What if I am bitten where I can't apply a pressure bandage like on the neck or body? What if I was broken down or rained in?
I will be travelling with the Snake Bite Pump. It gives me a better chance of survival.

Rosco

Here is the reprint of my article on the Private Forum, did not really want it here so as to avoid the controversy as is above, but anyway.....

”.. Something of a Snakebite Kit…."

Anti venom medications are very unstable, very species oriented, perishable, and not widely available…. Yes, I know, snakebite death is less than shark attack and being hit by lightening, But….80% of Australians live in the city… Out Bush? I am phobic about our collection of the most deadly snakes in the world; and I travel with a family of five and up to five horses.. The damn things even kill horses! For those of you that do not know, da “Lone Ranger” is a bit of a Battle Field Med Tec, and studies beyond the basic “Advance First Aid” credential that I have qualified for… My field of study is more in line with “Trauma and Emergency Medicine” and Leslie my Good Wife is an RN.. Now I am not qualified to give Medical Advice, and you should seek Qualified Medical Advice… And this goes against the standard medical advice of the Royal Flying Doctors and Australian Medical Association (AMA)…. BUT HERE IS WHY, and here is a goodie that could be very important:

The standard AMA advice is “Pressure Bandage” the whole limb, I.D. the snake if possible as the antivenom is more effective species oriented, and immediately transport to a Medical Facility.. I am not going to give a dissertation on the procedure for this pressure bandaging, you can research this technique yourself, and it is a very good thing to know… The idea is that the pressure bandages tightly wrap the whole limb and slows the venoms assimilation into the body, long enough to get to Professional Medical Attention… Fine, it works and I am not arguing the case.. The truth is that a reasonable percentage of snake bites do not inject venom, but you cannot tell, and the pressure bandages all the way up the limb helps to slow the venoms progress and the venom is thought to actually deteriorate a bit on its own over time… It works and there is nothing wrong with the standard AMA advice… BUT: My Research Studies were about what could I do if I was out past the Black Stump, rained in, whatever, and could not get out!! I was a bit worried when I get so far back in the Bush that this might be a long time interval and there had to be something more I could do… Originally I was looking into the purchase of a Polyvalent Anti-venom (multi species) oriented injection, that I could refrigerate and carry with me…. But this proved to be somewhat difficult. So, here is TIP # 33…

A few of you Old Timers been around for a while like the “Lone Ranger”, remember the old way of lancing the bite site and using the old pressure cups that sucked out the poison while applying a tourniquet in a tighten and loosen timing interval.. I have actually carried the old style kit in remote places like in Africa. The AMA has decided that now, this is not the go… It may put the person into Shock, and also can easily spread the venom rather than extracting it… Primarily because most people do not have the training to do anything but aggravate a bad situation.. Fine… I have no problem with that… They know more than my humble self… For sure…!!

But in my Medical Studies on the Internet I ran into something sold by Sawyer Products, as I searched for snake bite treatments, on www.sawyeronline.com that is a cheap bit of possible help. They cost about $12 U.S. on last look (years ago), weigh nearly nothing, about the size of two packs of cigarettes… Called “The Extractor”… It is a valved, spring loaded large syringe, with cup attachments of all sizes to fit almost all body parts and bite sizes… You put on the right cup attachment, and use it per instructions, and as you depress and release the spring loaded plunger once, internal valving pre-loads one heck of a lot of major suction for a long time… It will leave one very large purple welt, and almost suck the blood right through your skin… I was so impressed, I bought 10 of them to put in various places. I remember a few years back reading about a boy struck on a waterslide in the face by a Brown Snake, and unfortunately died. I spread these “Extractor” kits out in my vehicles and van, and the truth is there is one in my briefcase. If one of mine are struck by a snake, we will put on “The Extractor”, AND pressure bandage as well, and transport… I just have no confidence that in some very remote regions of travel, that we could get to an Anti-venom equipped medical facility in time…

Note: I am not Qualified to give Medical Advice, this is not medical advice, seek the counsel of Qualified Medical Personnel… I am only telling you of a device that makes me feel better with my family of five in snake ridden areas, that may be a positive advantage… It is small enough to go in a pocket when tramping around, and light enough not to be noticed…. I am convinced, that if ENOUGH -IMMEDIATE and POWERFUL suction is put in place it could withdraw the venom with blood and serum from the bite to some degree…. And still pressure bandage the whole limb, and transport to a Hospital…
It comes with a razor to shave the site quickly and would be the go even for a horse..

Another possibly entertaining, silly anecdote, from the “Lone Ranger”…..

Crazy….. But never Boring… And still travelling with Quarter Horses….

Whatever.
I didnt mean to start a mass-debate
As i said I only bought these for my own use and because it was cheaper by the dozen I bought enough to supply a few of my fellow travellers. I am not making a profit.
As Stg said you make up your own mind.
To me the extractor makes sense.
I still have 6 left.
myerscough@yahoo.com if you want one.

Rosco

Brad,
Are you in this forum because your campertrailer site gave you the flick? You are a drop kick. It was unneccessary to carry on the way you have and get personal. You are welcome to put your point/idea forward and allow others to make their own investigations and minds up, as others have done. Information is put onto forum's to give people ideas, to do their own investigations, and discuss. Not denegrate and be obstinate to each other. Although some of your arguments are valid, you detroyed your credibility by getting personal and not sticking to the argument. The medical profession gave away leeches for years, and now, guess what - they are back! Thankyou to BushTracker and myersco and others for continuing to put forward their idea's, discoveries and hints, I will read and make up my own mind with appropriate research.

Stuart