Press Releases: Georgia
June 11, 2002
Snake alert! Kaiser Permanente physician offers tips to avoid snakebites
ATLANTA, Ga. – As summer heats up, people are spending more time outdoors enjoying activities such as yardwork, long hikes, camping and other excursions in the wilderness.
Each year in this country, venomous snakes bite 7,000 to 8,000 people. In Georgia, pit vipers such as copperheads, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes, account for the majority of the venomous bites.
Marshall Fogel, MD, Kaiser Permanente of Georgia's chief of After Hours, offers these tips for staying clear of snakes and what to do if you experience a "close encounter".
Prevention
- Avoid known places where snakes live, especially at night. Also develop a habit of watching where you step or place your hands.
- If you do venture into the wild, always wear protective clothing, especially on feet and lower legs. If you're doing yardwork, be on the safe side and always wear gloves. You never know what's lurking behind a tall bush.
- Avoid reaching under logs and rocks or other darkened areas with your hands. Instead, use a stick.
- Do not handle dead snakes; they may be poisonous.
- If you do encounter a snake, walk away! You can out-distance a snake in three steps.
Treating snakebites
- Venomous snakebites are a medical emergency and require immediate treatment.
- If someone is bitten by a snake, do the following until you can get them to a medical facility:
- Immediately apply a loose constricting band between the bite and the heart (no tighter than a watchband).
- Remove rings and other jewelry (e.g., watches).
- Immobilize a bitten limb or extremity with a splint. (Don't use tight tourniquets, incisions, suctions, or ice or heat.)
- Get the patient to an emergency room as soon as possible.
Kaiser Permanente is the state of Georgia's largest nonprofit health plan, serving the health care needs of Atlanta metro area residents for 22 years. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, Inc. currently provides comprehensive health care services to approximately 275,000 members through 15 medical facilities in a 28-county service, and a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians. The Health Plan provided more than $5 million in community benefit programs and services.
