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According to the WHO, snakebites cause approximately 81,000 to 138,000 deaths per year worldwide.
It is estimated that they affect about 5.4 million people a year, of which about 2.7 million are poisoned.
According to the WHO, the effects are usually more serious in children than in adults, because they have less body mass.
Last Wednesday night, Chiapas civil protection services responded to the emergency call of a woman who suffered a snake bite while she was in one of her plots. Civil protection personnel gave first aid to the woman who was quickly transferred to a health center to be hospitalized immediately.
According to local media, the 911 emergency service asked the aforementioned corporation’s personnel to meet on the Cintalapa-Cárdenas highway section. The woman who suffered the snake bite was transferred in a blue van with Oaxaca State license plates.
Upon receiving the instructions from the emergency service, the lifeguards moved to the agreed section where they met the referred unit, boarded it and took it to the hospital so that the medical personnel will apply all the necessary protocols for these cases.
The woman has been identified as 26-year-old María Cristal, originally from the Las Perlas ranch. Health personnel are attentive to the evolution of your body after receiving the anti-venom serum. The snake bite occurred near the left ankle.
The relatives of the young woman brought the reptile in a bucket so that the doctors knew how to identify the type of medicine they should use to counteract the poison that had been deposited in María’s body.
What to do in case of a snake bite?
According to the Medline Plus site, The first aid that should be given to a person who has suffered a snake bite is:
- Keep the person calm. Make sure bites can be effectively treated in an emergency room. Restrict movement and keep the affected area at the level of the heart if the bite was from a rattlesnake (rattlesnake, copperhead, cottonmouth) or below the level of the heart if the bite was from a coral snake, cobra, or an exotic snake in order to reduce the flow of venom.
- Remove any rings or constrictive clothing as the affected area may swell. Put on a loose splint to help restrict movement in that area. Place a splint or sling loosely on the affected area. Do not use a tourniquet.
- If the bite area begins to swell and change color, the snake is likely venomous.
- If possible, monitor the person’s vital signs, such as temperature, pulse, respiratory rate and blood pressure. If there are signs of shock (such as paleness), lay the person down, raise their feet about a foot (30 centimeters) up, and cover them with a blanket.
- Get medical help right away.
- If possible, take note of the color, shape, and size of the snake. This can help with treatment of the bite. Don’t waste time trying to catch the snake, or catch or pick it up. If the snake is dead, be very careful with the head – a snake can actually bite (reflexively) for several hours after death.
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