Then another bandage is put over the top of the first one, starting this time at the ends of the limb and working up to the top of the limb. If the bandage is applied quickly then the person bitten may have up to 2 or 3 hours before the bite becomes life threatening. The bandage should be checked to see if it is too tight by pushing the finger under the nail to see if it goes white and then back to red when pressure stops. After the bandaging is finished, the limb should be splinted to minimise movement. The patient should be moved as little as possible to minimise the flow of venom around the body.
Brown snakes cause more deaths in Australia than any other snake.
The children looked at some pictures of the more common snakes like the Red bellied black, death adder and taipan. The children then had a look at some pictures of snake bites. The old fashioned methods of sucking a snake bite or using a tourniquet were discussed and the children shown quite graphically why we DON'T use these methods any more in these pictures. This limb would have to be amputated. Wayne then went on to talk about spider bites.