Your Health Matters
By Claudia Parks, R.N.

Last weeks article about Georgia snakes triggered numerous emails asking questions and detailing personal experiences of folks around the USA. Some reminded me of instances of when we lived in Florida- where at that time there was an abundance of all kinds of snakes.

A warning that bears repeating and one that I've also experienced and have had several friends with similar occurrences. In this particular email, the individual sent close-up photos of proof! It seems her son gave her a potted plant as an Easter gift that she kept in her kitchen until the weather was warm enough to transplant it outside in her flowerbed. She removed the plant and then began removing the inner plastic liner from the decorative outer container- having to pry it out with a tool- she noticed unusual movement of something through the nickel size drainage holes in the bottom of the liner!

By this time she got her son to come over and see what's moving in the pot and help her remove the liner! He found not one but two ten to twelve-inch baby copperheads (alive) which had more than likely hatched while the flower was in her kitchen! Somewhere in the process of potting the plant at the nursery copperhead eggs got into the soil or the container and hatched at the right time and temperature! By the way, baby copperheads are also poisonous.

Keep in mind potted plants that you have kept outside through the summer and bring in when the weather gets chilly- need to be inspected! In Atlanta, I often would put a plant outside on the picnic table to get a little sun and then bring it back in for a few days- this went on for months. I noticed that our house cat (large Maine Coon) acted very strange toward the plant- he watched it constantly- this went on for several weeks. One day he had all he could take- attacked the plant and came up with a twentyinch harmless garter snake. Like I tell my husband, "A snake is a snake- and some may be harmless- but I'm sure they can cause a heart attack especially if found in the house!"

One of the questions that came in by email was: "If you are a venomous snake bite victim and unable to reach a medical center within an hour or more- what should you do?" First, Don't Panic! According to the American Red Cross: (1) Allow bite to bleed freely for 15-30 seconds. (2) Cleanse with soap and water- disinfect area. (3) Wrap leg/arm with 3'' to 6'' Ace bandage past the knee or elbow joint. (This assuming that you are bitten on the arm, hand or leg) Keep the bitten area lower than the heart level. Leave fang marks open. Apply suction cup extractor (if available- in a snake bite kit) immediately. Wrap bandage no tighter than one would for a sprain. Extractor can be left in place for 30 minutes. Do not apply oral (mouth) suction to bite. (4) If an extractor is not available: Apply direct pressure over bite using a 4 x 4 gauze pad folded in half twice. Soak gauze pad in Betadine® solution if available. Tape in place firmly with adhesive tape. Over wrap dressing above and below bite area with ACE or crepe bandage, as tight as one would for a sprain. Not too tight! (5) Check for pulse above and below elastic wrap; if too tight, loosen and rewrap. (6) Immobilize bitten extremity, use splinting if available. (7) Go to nearest medical facility as soon as possible. (8) Try to identify, kill and bring (ONLY if safe to do so) offending snake.

What NOT TO DO if bitten by a venomous snake: (1) If you have wrapped the area with ACE bandages- do not remove until you are at the hospital. (2) Do not eat or drink anything unless okayed by medical sources. (3) Do not engage in strenuous physical activity. (You do not want your heart to race!) (4) Do not apply oral suction to bite. (5) Do not cut into or incise bite marks with a blade. (6) Do not drink any alcohol or use any medication. (7) Do not apply either hot or cold packs. (8) Do not apply a narrow, constrictive tourniquet such as a belt, necktie or cord. (9) Do not remove dressings until arrival at hospital and antivenom is available.

Keep in mind that Union General Hospital has antivenom on hand. Also keep in mind that all snakes will be out and about this time of year- especially on warm days. I saw my first one on one of the warmer days last week- a six foot black snake- he was near my mailbox- he took off down the hill as I neared him! Of course I took off back into the house!

Claudia Parks, RN is a former doctor's office and emergency room nurse and retired as an educator from Fulton County Schools. She writes Your Health Matters as a public service; the information here is designed to help you make informed choices about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your physician. Claudia and her husband make their home in the beautiful north Georgia Mountains. Claudia can be reached at yhm@windstream.net