What to do if you are bitten by a viper: clear instructions

Nowadays, people in Ukraine spend a lot of time outdoors, so they are at risk of encountering dangerous reptiles. As a rule, snakes do not attack people, but if you are not careful, you may well be attacked in defense.

An encounter with a viper can be a serious problem if you don't know what to do. Therefore, OBOZ.UA has prepared detailed instructions on how to act in case of a bite of the most common poisonous snake in Ukraine.

There are only 5 species of venomous snakes in Ukraine, and they all belong to the viper family. Most of them have hematotoxic venom. It destroys red blood cells and also affects the cardiovascular system.

Symptoms of poisoning

As a rule, the body begins to react to the venom within 15-20 minutes. The bite site is characterized by pain that increases with swelling and localized necrosis.

Sometimes the victim begins to feel nauseous and has a fever, low blood pressure, and increased heart rate.

What to do if you are bitten

If you have the opportunity, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible if you are attacked by a viper. Only a specialist will be able to provide full medical care and apply antivenom if necessary.

However, if you cannot get to a hospital quickly, you should do the following:

• Take off your clothes and wash the bite site. If the wound is on the arm, remove all jewelry, as the limb will begin to swell over time;
• To slow down the spread of venom through the body, take a horizontal position and stay at rest. You should also fix and immobilize the bite site;
• Drink plenty of water and take diuretics if possible;
• Apply something cold to the bite, such as ice wrapped in a towel.

If you are unable to get to a hospital, you can take prednisone 30-60 mg to reduce the effects of the venom.

What you should never do in case of a viper bite

In no case should you additionally injure the bite site. That is, you do not need to cauterize, cut, or wash the wound with potassium permanganate.

You should also not apply a tourniquet, because the venom can cause gangrene, which is likely to lead to amputation of the limb.

Finally, it is forbidden to give the victim food or alcohol, as this can accelerate the effect of the poison.

It is worth noting that 30-50 cases of snakebites are officially registered in Ukraine every year. However, over the past 10 years, such incidents have not resulted in fatalities.

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