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I hope I can make this as simple as possible
| Posted:
2009-08-17 03:43:00 AM
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The simple way to handle this situation is to keep the Anti-venom for the poisons snakes common to our region in refrigerators at the hospitals located in Port-Of Spain, San Fernando, Point Fortin, Mt Hope, and also in Tobago just for good measures. A simple refrigerator is all that is needed. You do not have to treat a snake bite only at a "Toxicology Management facility". What is important is to be able to identify which snake is the one in question, and then administer the anti-venom. Here in the Army a Medic is given twelve weeks of training and he/she is then certified. When soldiers deploy to places like Africa, Jungles of South America and Asia, they encounter snakes such as cobras, Bamboo Vipers, Bush master, Black Mamba..etc..etc. They take with them the anti venom that is need for snakes that are known to inhabit the regions they are encamped. If someone is bitten, they are treated on the spot in that area by a Medic, not even a Doctor. I just don’t see the logic that someone has to travel from one corner of the Country to another to be treated for a snake bite in this modern age of medicine. Mr Neptune and Miss Lochan would have been alive today. Why are some things so difficult to implement in this country, only God or Mickey Mouse has the answer to that question because I definitely do not know!! Any Doctor should be able to treat a snake bite in this Country, and in the absence of a Doctor a Nurse should be able also. Lloyd C. Johnson, US Army Retired, Germany |
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How to Survive a Snake Bite
| Posted:
2009-08-17 03:55:00 AM
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I have been reading this article with interest from Australia and thought I would send you through some information that may be of interest to your readers
I do the bookkeeping for a gentleman in South Australia by the name of Geoff Coombe. Geoff has been presenting Snake Awareness and Snake Handling presentations in Australia and around the world for many years now and his whole focus is on making people aware of why snakes act and react in the way that they do and what we can do to reduce the chance of being bitten by them.
His website is at www.livingwithwildlife.com.au and he has two blogs, one at geoffcoombeslivingwithwildlife.blogspot.com and the other at snakebiteinnepal.blogspot.com so I would encourage your readers to have a look at these sites to get a better understanding of these creatures.
Your readers may also be interested to know that Geoff has also recently set up an Online Snake Awareness course, where you can learn about snake’s habitats and the ways in which they react to people. A sample of this course can been seen at http://lww.competency.com.au/branding/intro.aspx if they would like to look at it.
Geoff truly believes that we can live in harmony with these creatures if we understand the reasons behind why they do what they do. He also believes that we can greatly reduce the chance of being bitten by them simply by knowing how to react if we ever come into contact with them.
I hope your readers find this information of interest.
Kind regards
Dean Allan
MYbookkeeping Services
PO Box 1221
Gawler SA 5118 Australia
Ph. 0404 079 174
www.mybookkeepingservices.com.au |
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Eh, eh no first aid for snake bites at T&T hosiptals!
| Posted:
2009-08-17 05:31:00 AM
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Long time dey use to tell us to make a cut as + sign and suck the poison out. I do not advocate this procedure. Then we were told to use a Belgium Stone (I wonder what became of that). Then there was a kind of hand held pump that sucked the poison out. Do you mean to tell me that there are no "vacuum pumps" in existence that can be kept at the various hospitals to suck the poison out while awaiting the antidote from Sangre Grande? |
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Snake Bite.
| Posted:
2009-08-17 02:16:00 AM
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There should also be a centre in the south. and one in the diego area. and naturally one close to caroni..i am sure people will sleep better knowing they are not far away from help. it is the fear..that rushes the blood faster around one body increasing the poison effects. |
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snake bites
| Posted:
2009-08-17 07:21:00 AM
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my heartfelt sympathy goes out to this family. i was bitten by a venomous snake (mapipire) when i was 14 yrs old. i lived in a very rural part of trinidad at that time. i was taken to the old arima hospital and from there to POS general where i was given the antiviral medication. on the doctors round that morning the cheif medical director at that time dr david quamina came to visit and told me how lucky i was to be alive. that was 30 years ago. i am now suprised and shock that a person can die from snake bites in this day and age. management of such emergencies should be better handled given that we have new and modern medicine. |
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WHAT KIND OF SNAKE!!
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2009-08-17 07:22:00 AM
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Ok fair enough, go the the nearest causualty and an ambulance will be dispatched with the anti-venom drug. I only see one problem, the most people will not be able to tell what kind of snake bit them. Reasons: it was dark and therefore could not see or they were too scared to remember. I would suggest having pictures availabe at all hospitals of these potential posionous snakes that are found in trinidad and tobago to give the bitten person a fighting chance of being administerd the correct vaccine. I dont think it would be a long list. |
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what steps am i to take upon being bitten by a venomous snake?
| Posted:
2009-08-17 08:56:00 AM
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a. identify the snake
b. get to the only medical centre in T&T as quickly as possible.
i expected a more detailed procedure to apply upon being bitten to prevent the spread of venom, application of antiseptic, pressure, tourniquet, or any practicable act to give the victim more time to get to grande hospital. |
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Snake Bite
| Posted:
2009-08-17 09:32:00 AM
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It is inconceivable, bewildering and totally unacceptable that only one toxicology management centre exists, and that it is located in remote Sangre District.
This situation must be immediaately adressed by the Ministry of Health to ensure that such centres are strategically located throughout the country. |
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snake bite
| Posted:
2009-08-17 09:21:00 AM
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This is so comforting; especially since EVERYONE in the country CAN RECOGNIZE the different types of snakes by names, and WITH NO ERROR too because the treatment depends on that. Wow, I thought maybe it would be easier and safer to have some anti-venom treatment in each major facilities so that the ambulance will not have to be dispatched and possibly get delayed in traffic or get there with the wrong treatment. |
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Snake Bite
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2009-08-17 11:39:00 AM
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They could have, would have and should have done a lot of things. But it is too late for the victim who lived 3 days in February, this last one and most likely the next one. Words whisper, actions thunder. The only solution is to ger St Patrick to drive out the snakes. Ray.Fbn |
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snake bite awareness
| Posted:
2009-08-17 11:13:00 AM
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This is a great story and awareness to the public however the big question is can "everyone be vigilant", when dealing with a snake bite so that the patient can survive. though Mr. Ramlackhansingh said that every casualty department involved should send an urgent call to the toxicology centre so an ambulance can be dispatched with the anti-venom for the patient why this did not work for 42-year-old Gandira Geeta Lochan, who died after being bitten by a venomous snake last week, her familey claimed that the slow response to treat her at the Sangre Grande Hospital caused her death my question is why Rio Claro health center department did not send an urgent call to the toxicology centre so an ambulance can be dispatched with the anti-venom now the big question is can this realy happen it would be nice to see it happen but I doubt it cause somebody did not read Mr. Ramlackhansingh memo
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Trinidad's Venomous Snakes
| Posted:
2009-08-17 1:40:00 PM
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Just an FYI trinidad has 2 types of venomous snakes which come in 2 varieties each:-
the coral snakes are small and banded in red yellow black and white...if a small colorful snake bites you it is a coral...the mapipiere comes in 2 verieties, the fir-de-lance and the bushmaster , these are both large snakes that are brown mottled with black. The coral snake is small and has small jaws and thus will bite mostly fingers and toes. It is also a rear fanged snake so the deepest puncture mark will be after a series of smaller puncture marks...the bush master and fir-de -lance are larger and more aggressive pit vipers, pit vipers are modern snakes and have fangs in the front of their mouths, their bite pattern will thus be more traditionally what you would expect from a snake. DO NOT- attempt to suck a bite wound (AIDS amonst other blood borne diseases as well as ingesting the poison are REAL concerns), DO NOT -attempt to slice a bite wound to bleed it DO NOT - attempt to kill or capture the snake more people amy be bitten in the process. DO - remain calm, Do - get medical treatment as soon as possible, in the interim you can apply a torniquet to slow (not stop) blood flow from the affected area. Also try to identify the animal that bit you. Last point, trinidad also has MANY nonvenomous snakes and THEY all bite. |
