Snake venom classification
According to their nature, they can be divided into three categories: neurotoxicity, blood circulation toxicity, and mixed toxicity.
Golden ring snakes, silver ring snakes, and sea snakes mainly contain neurotoxins. After the patient is bitten, there is no inflammation in the local area of the wound, only slight pain, itching, numbness, and decreased sensation, which often does not attract attention and delays diagnosis and treatment. The symptoms of systemic poisoning appear relatively late, usually starting 1-6 hours after biting. Once they occur, the condition progresses rapidly, and symptoms such as general discomfort, dizziness, difficulty breathing, and blurred vision may occur. If not rescued in time, it can be life-threatening.
Vipers, sharp nosed pit vipers, and bamboo leaf green mainly contain blood circulating toxins. After the patient’s bite, the local area of the wound is red, swollen, and painful, with continuous bleeding and swelling rapidly spreading to the upper limbs. There are often blisters and bruises, and severe poisoning can cause a decrease in blood pressure, arrhythmia, oliguria, and anuria, ultimately leading to death due to circulatory failure.
Cobras, king cobras, and pit vipers mainly contain mixed venom. After the patient was bitten, the area around the wound became red, swollen, and painful, rapidly expanding. The wound did not bleed much but quickly closed and turned black. There are blood bubbles around the wound. Symptoms of systemic poisoning appear 2-6 hours after a bite, often accompanied by drowsiness, vomiting, chills, difficulty swallowing, language disorders, and arrhythmia.
When working or traveling in the wild, if bitten by a snake, it is important to quickly determine whether it is a venomous snake bite?
One is to look at the shape of a snake: the head of a venomous snake is mostly triangular, with colorful patterns on its body, and the tail is short and thin; The non-toxic snake has an oval shaped head, a monotonous color on its body, and a slender and long tail. It is best to kill the snake that bites for diagnostic reference.
The second is to look at the wound: the wound surface of a venomous snake bite often has a pair of large and deep tooth marks, or a pair of large tooth marks above two rows of small tooth marks, some of which even have broken teeth; Non venomous snake bites may have no bite marks or two rows of symmetrical small bite marks.
If a snake bite occurs at night and the shape of the snake cannot be clearly seen, and it is impossible to distinguish whether it is caused by a venomous snake from the wound, do not wait for the condition of the wound to change to determine whether it has been bitten by a venomous snake.
