the online meeting place for all who love our amphibians and reptiles
Home Page Live Forums Archived Forums Site Search Identify Record Donate Projects Links
Forum Home Forum Home > Herpetofauna Native to the UK > Adder
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Treatment of adder bite link
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Treatment of adder bite link

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123 5>
Author
Message
arvensis View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 15 Mar 2006
Location: Hampshire
Status: Offline
Points: 493
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote arvensis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Treatment of adder bite link
    Posted: 24 May 2006 at 7:04pm
Someone posted this link in another forum, apologies if this has already been posted.  It is an interesting read.

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/331/7527/1244

The 'add hyperlink' button doesn't work for me so you'll have to copy n' paste it.

Mark




Edited by arvensis
Back to Top
Vicar View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1184
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vicar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 2006 at 4:06am

Very interesting thread, useful too.

Another case history which has a nice written style is: http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/the1.htm

Steve Langham - Chairman    
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group
Back to Top
administrator View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Status: Offline
Points: 10
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote administrator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 2006 at 4:30am
Back to Top
Suzi View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 06 Apr 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1025
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 2006 at 11:08am
When I read this sort of stuff I get an urge to take up stamp collecting or train-spotting!
Suz
Back to Top
arvensis View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 15 Mar 2006
Location: Hampshire
Status: Offline
Points: 493
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote arvensis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 2006 at 11:18am
Cheers Gemma for posting the hyperlink.  Suzi, if you look through it, it mentions half the bites are on the hand when picking the snake up. 

 I suspect some of these bites in recent cases are from people who think they are a Steve Irwin and get tagged for their efforts.

 The case history that Steve(Vicar) has linked has made me wonder what the reason was behind picking that adder up?

Mark


Edited by arvensis
Back to Top
administrator View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Status: Offline
Points: 10
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote administrator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 2006 at 2:56pm

I read Steve's case history a while ago for the first time. The guy had no reason to hold the snake behind the head in a position where it could bite his finger, it goes against common sense. This is NOT a safe way to go about handling adders, as he found out to his cost. The whole episode was utterly avoidable.

Adder can be handled relatively safely when your comfortable with them, as Tony P has said before on here, if you need to examine the animal closely, tube it. That way the snake isn't stressed and the handler isn't either.

Certainly made me think reading the BMJ article though Mark, particularly about a few near misses in my time... now where did I put that timetable



Edited by GemmaJF
Back to Top
arvensis View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 15 Mar 2006
Location: Hampshire
Status: Offline
Points: 493
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote arvensis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 2006 at 3:53pm
Gemma,
          Not only do you need a timetable, you also need a parka, a notebook, a thermosflask etc.

Ahem! anyway to keep it on topic, it did strike me as grabbing it behind the head as a bit odd- I thought the best way was to 'tail' them.   I'll point out that I haven't a handled a Adder so far, but I know what I'd do if someone grabbed me behind the head.

  I'd imagine that quite a few of the yearly total of bites are avoidable.

Mark
Back to Top
Suzi View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 06 Apr 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1025
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 2006 at 5:23pm

I had read the story before about the adder bite. In my neck of the woods too. No I never understood why he picked it up either.

Anytime from this weekend onwards I will be seeing families wandering the heaths in sandals and flipflops. A lot of the tracks would probably be OK but they have grassy verges and people often step off onto this especially kids and if with dogs.

I even wear a thick gauntlet when lifting tins!

Suz
Back to Top
administrator View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Status: Offline
Points: 10
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote administrator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 2006 at 5:46pm

'I even wear a thick gauntlet when lifting tins! ' - so do I Suz

adder often sit in the undergrowth unseen adjacent to tins, if you know they are about it is again a common sense thing to have a gauntlet on your tin lifting hand. An alternative is a long stick with a hook for lifting the tins, Midwest do a good one, but for capture work when you need to be low to the ground, a gauntlet should be thought of as a must have if adder are likely to be encountered, it isn't the one under the tin that you can see that will tag you, it's the one you didn't see in the adjacent undergrowth when your hand went down to lift the tin

Back to Top
arvensis View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 15 Mar 2006
Location: Hampshire
Status: Offline
Points: 493
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote arvensis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 May 2006 at 9:05am
Since we're talking about protective gear, any suggestions on suitable gloves/gauntlets?

Cheers, Mark
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123 5>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 11.06
Copyright ©2001-2016 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.188 seconds.