Snakebite! What to Do If You're Bitten and How Treatments Work

Now that summer is in full swing, many of us have vacation on the brain. For some people, this may mean traveling to new places, hiking, camping, and enjoying the scenery. But sometimes lurking in these exotic (or not so exotic) environments is a sneaky little critter: the snake. Though their bites are often not deadly – or even dangerous – some bites can be lethal.

We’ve all seen the Hollywood version of snakebite rescue, in which one person furiously sucks the venom out of the leg of the quickly fading victim. But this is absolutely the wrong thing to do. Though snake bites are fairly rare in this country, they do occur, so it’s a good idea to know a little bit about the different kinds of poisonous snakes and what to do if you or someone you’re with is bitten.

We’ve all seen the Hollywood version of snakebite rescue, in which one person furiously sucks the venom out of the leg of the quickly fading victim. But this is absolutely the wrong thing to do.

It is estimated that five million people worldwide are bitten by snakes every year. Of these, as many as 125,000 bites are fatal.(1)(2) However, in the United States, only 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year, and here are even better odds: only five to six of those bites lead to death.(3) Throughout the world, most bites are associated with farming and food production. Not surprisingly, most bites in the United States are the result of intentional contact with a snake, whether captive (pet snakes) or in the wild.(4)

Snake bites can be frightening events, and tend to evoke strong emotions both in the victim and the doctor who is treating him or her.(5) In recent years, there have been many advances in the techniques that hospitals use to treat snake bites, particularly in antivenom methods, and the snakebite is now recognized as a tropical disease worldwide.(6)

The North American pit vipers include the well-known rattlesnake, as well as the cottonmouth, and copperhead. All of these snakes have hollow fangs; slit-like pupils; and a heat-seeking “pit” between each eye and nostril.

While many doctors are becoming more familiar with how to treat snakebite emergencies, it’s also a good idea for all of us to have a working knowledge of which snakes are poisonous, what happens in the body when one is bitten, and what kinds of treatment options, including antivenoms, are available these days.

Pit vipers (from the Crotalinae subfamily) and coral snakes (Elapidae family),are the only poisonous snakes native to North America. There are many other types of poisonous snakes, however, that now live on the continent because they have been imported. Mostly these importers are collectors and zoos, but obviously not all snakes come here in legitimate trade.(7) When exotic snakes such as cobras and vipers are brought over illegally it is particularly dangerous because antivenoms may be difficult – or impossible – to obtain.

The North American pit vipers include the well-known rattlesnake, as well as the cottonmouth, and copperhead. All of these snakes have hollow fangs; slit-like pupils; and a heat-seeking “pit” between each eye and nostril. They also have different scale patterns from non-poisonous snakes. Since most people aren’t going to be able to bring the snake that bit them to the hospital with them, it’s important for doctors to know what kinds of snakes are in their area.

In contrast to the pit viper, the coral snake has grooved teeth instead of hollow fangs, round pupils, and no heat-seeking pit.