Don’t Bring Snake Into Hospital if Bitten in Utah

Do Not Try to Trap the Snake After Being Bitten 

In Queensland, Australia, a hospital has asked people to please stop bringing venomous snakes with them into the emergency after they have been bitten. They said it is endangering hospital personnel and is not needed. 

You may wonder why this was the hospital needed to say this at all. Surely no one would wander in with a snake, right? Well, they have had it happen more than once. They note how a man recently walked in with an eastern brown snake in Tupperware so the doctors could identify what bit him. 

A Couple Old Time Remedies that Aren’t True 

Growing up here in Utah where we have lots of rattlesnakes, I remember learning that if you were bitten, you should take a knife to the wound and try to suck the venom out. Secondary, was that you should capture the snake so they could identify the poison, though I don’t think most of us took that to seriously. 

Both of these are bad ideas. According to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, trying to suck the poison out of a snake bite will introduce bacteria into the wound. If you or someone is bitten, go to the nearest hospital immediately. Do not waste time trying to catch the snake which will not help. 

Probably Not a Big Problem in Utah 

The chance of being bitten by a venomous snake is low. You are nine times more likely to be hit by lightning. Those chances go way up if after you are bitten by one, you then try to catch it to take with you to the doctor.