A 17-year-old boy who was bitten by a poisonous blue keffiyeh snake was treated by doctors at the Filatov Children’s Hospital, the press service of the Moscow Health Department reported on August 7.
According to the press service, the snake bit the young man in his home while the teenager was feeding it. It is noted that the terrarium with snakes in the victim’s house is kept by his parents.
The Department of Health reported that in the first hours after the bite, the teenager tried to cope on his own with the consequences of the bite. At the same time, the “I sucked the poison out of the wound, drank a lot of water and even made superficial cuts on the affected finger.”.
But these measures proved to be in vain and the young man was taken to the toxicology department of the Filatov hospital on the same day. At the hospital, doctors noticed that the patient’s finger had turned black at the site of the bite, and that swelling was also developing on his hand, extending to his forearm.
“The patient was prescribed medications and intravenous therapy to help the immune system fight off the toxins.”“, the press service of the department quotes the head of the toxicology department, Dmitry Dolginov, as saying.
According to him, the venom of the viper (keffiyehs are a genus of snakes from the viper family) is dangerous because of its massive impact, which affects the body on many levels.
“When it enters the circulatory and lymphatic systems, vascular permeability increases, blood cells are released into the surrounding tissues, and intravascular hemolysis also occurs, which, in turn, leads to acute renal failure and multi-organ dysfunction.”Dolginov added.
The teenager reportedly managed to avoid such dangerous consequences by not self-medicating for too long.
The Ministry of Health noted that the serum against snakes such as vipers, adders, efa and cobra is effective only during the first day, and its effectiveness steadily decreases during these hours. In addition, it is not recommended to administer such serum independently, without the supervision of a medical professional, as it is highly allergenic.
According to toxicologists quoted by the press service, in case of a bite from a poisonous snake, before going to the doctor, one should not apply a tourniquet, apply ice, suck out the venom, cauterize the bite site or make superficial cuts.
Dolginov pointed out additional measures to be taken before the ambulance arrives in case of a poisonous snake bite. In his opinion, if the bite was on a limb, it is advisable to fix it, because the less movement there is in the affected area of the body, the slower the poison spreads throughout the body.
The toxicologist also noted that it is necessary to remove rings, bracelets, tight clothing or shoes from such a victim. In addition, a person bitten by a poisonous snake should be given plenty of fluids, preferably sweet drinks, as well as antihistamines and painkillers in doses appropriate for their age. The bite site should be treated with an antiseptic solution and a sterile bandage should be applied.
Filatov Hospital said it had already had two similar admissions for poisonous snakebites in the past six months.
Source: Rossa Primavera
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.