Using anti-venom is mostly ineffective, as the doses needed are massive. The one or two ampules in an envenomation kit are generally not enough. There are also different types of anti-venom. The use of the wrong type is deadlier that the snake bit itself. In the past venom specific anti-venoms were produced by injecting horses, and then using the horse plasma to produce the anti-venom. Nowadays most anti-venom used is polyvelant anti-venom, that is suitable for different snakes, but is not as effective as venom spesific anti-venom. Polyvelant anti-venom is commonly made by injecting sheep, and not horses as in the past. NEVER apply a tourniquet, as most envenomations are from snakes that have cytotoxic, neurotoxic (or combination) and haemotoxic. Puffadders, night adders, burrowing asps, Mozambique spitters are all cytotoxic, with the latter having a combination of neurotoxic and cytotoxic venom. Using a tourniquet will aggrevate the wound, in that the surrounding tissue starts swelling, and with a tourniquet in place the swelling will have no place to go. Rather use a compression bandage if you have one. Wrap the affected limb from just above the bite site towards the torso. If you don't have a bandage handy, your cycling shirt will work as well,as it is fairly elastic, and can be applied as a compression bandage. Not all snakes are venomous, and not all venomous snakes inject venom with every bite. A warning bite could be a dry bite. The use of anti-venom in those cases would be more dangerous than the bite itself. A serious concern is also anaphalactic shock as a result of the use of the anti-venom. The best is to remain calm. Get someone to transport you to the nearest hospital. Give as accurate a description of the snake as you can. Don't try and hunt down the snake to take it with you for identification at the hostital. You are only wasting time, and run the risk of further envenomation, if it did occur. You will generally know when envenomation is cytotoxic, as the pain will be IMMEDIATE, and it will HURT like hell. Swelling will follow fairly soon. Neurotoxic envenomation is more subtle, but more serious. You will feel mild pain at the bite site, your eyelids may become droopy, you may experience problems breathing, swallowing, become disorientated, drowsy, or any combination of symptoms. In that case get to a hospital as quickly as possible. Worry about the speeding fines later. Doctors will monitor your symptoms, and treat you symptomatically. Best thing to remember is that a snake will generally not bite without provocation. Leave it alone, and it will leave you alone. As mountain bikers we are regularly "in the wild" and as such I believe it is the responsibility of each and every biker to get to know the wildlife that you may come across. It could just save your life, or the life of someone else.
