Snake bite
Most bites need a hospital, quickly and calmly. Starter text to review by a health worker.
What to do
- Move away from the snake. Do not try to catch or kill it.
- Call 999 or 112, or get the person to the nearest hospital or health centre as fast as you safely can. Treatment for snake venom (antivenom) is given only there.
- Keep the person calm, and keep the bitten arm or leg as still as possible. Let them lie on their side if they can.
- Take off rings, bangles, watches and tight clothing near the bite, because it may swell.
- If it is safe, remember the snake's colour and pattern, or take a photo from a distance. Do not go near it.
Call 999 or 112 now if
- After any snake bite you cannot be sure was harmless: always treat it as an emergency.
Do not
- Do not cut the bite or try to suck out the venom.
- Do not tie anything tightly around the bitten arm or leg.
- Do not give aspirin or ibuprofen: they can make bleeding worse.
Sources
- NHS (UK National Health Service): Snake bites
- World Health Organization: Snakebite envenoming (fact sheet)
Written in our own words from these sources. Learn first aid properly with the Kenya Red Cross.