Immobilisation for a snake bite

Use for sea and land snake bites, funnel web spider ​bites, blue ringed octopus​ and cone shell stings​

Attention

• Do not wash, cut or drain wound or apply suction
• Use this procedure for bite on limb
• If bitten on head or torso — just bandage bite site
• Keep person calm, reassured and lying or sitting still
• Work quickly, don't bother to remove clothing

What you need

• 3 or more 10–15cm tension/elastic compression bandages if not available — use crepe bandages
• Splint
• Tape
• Marker/pen for marking bite site
• Stretcher

What you do

• Wrap first bandage over bite site — Figure 3.79
• Start second bandage at fingers or toes and wrap bandage/s firmly up limb as far as possible — Figure 3.80
  
• Include fingers/toes in bandaging to stop them moving and moving muscles
• Leave tips of fingers/toes visible to check circulation
• Mark bite or sting site on bandage — Figure 3.80

• Bandage firmly as for sprain — hard to put in fingers under bandage but not tight enough to cut circulation
• Aim is to prevent spread of venom by
• Stopping muscle, limb, joint movement
• Compressing lymphatic vessels
• Use last bandage/s to bind limb to splint — Figure 3.81 and Figure 3.82
• Bites to arm or hand. Put arm in sling to stop movement — Figure 3.82
  
• Have elbow bent
• Bites to leg or foot. If no splint handy — tie legs together — Figure 3.83
• Now immobilise whole person — use stretcher if available