How potent is the venom of the five-pace snake? Read this and you will understand
The five-pace snake is a venomous snake under the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae in the suborder Serpentes, with the scientific name Deinagkistrodon acutus (sharp-nosed pit viper). It is widely distributed in China, with the largest reserves in the Wuyi Mountain area and the mountainous area of southern Anhui. Known distribution areas include Anhui, Chongqing, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan, Hubei, Guangxi, Guizhou, Guangdong, Taiwan, China and other places. Let us take a look together at just how potent the venom of the five-pace snake is!
How potent is the venom of the five-pace snake?
The venom of the five-pace snake is more potent than that of the cobra. The per-unit toxicity of the five-pace snake's venom is not strong, but this does not prevent this snake species from in fact being highly dangerous. In the area of Shibi Township, Chenxi, Hunan, those bitten by this snake basically all died, while those bitten by cobras could basically all be saved. According to survey data, dangerous incidents and even fatal incidents caused by the bite of Deinagkistrodon acutus are indeed relatively common, at least in mainland China.
Is the five-pace snake a dangerous snake?
The five-pace snake is relatively large in size, fierce in temperament, has long fangs, and the bite wounds are relatively severe; it is also a snake species with a relatively large venom yield. In Taiwan, China there is a specifically effective serum against the venom of Deinagkistrodon acutus. According to a US military report, the venom of the five-pace snake is a hemolytic toxin composed of proteins, and this toxin is strongly hemorrhagic. At the same time, the Deinagkistrodon acutus is extremely aggressive, and its head can rotate through a large range. Inexperienced people who encounter it in the wild should avoid it from a distance and should not easily try to grab it with their hands; a snake hook should be used to grasp it.
What to do if bitten by a five-pace snake
1. After being bitten by a five-pace snake, what is important is to promptly take effective measures to treat the wound, etc., and send the person to the hospital for emergency treatment as soon as possible. In addition, it should be noted that the five-pace snake does not move much and crawls slowly; even after biting a person it will not crawl far, so guard against being bitten a second time.
2. The patient should stay calm and must not panic or run, so as to slow the body's absorption of the snake venom and the spread of the snake venom within the body, and to reduce the systemic reaction. The patient should sit down on the spot or adopt a semi-reclining position, keep the affected limb as still as possible, and keep the wound below heart level in order to treat the wound and provide rescue.
3. After being bitten by a venomous snake, a ligature should immediately be applied 5-10 cm proximal to the wound (the side closer to the heart). If there is no cord or band, find some green vines and tie them around the part where blood vessels flow; tie tightly, but not too tightly. The degree should be based on the principle of being able to block the return of venous blood and lymph without hindering arterial flow. A slip knot may be left to make loosening easy, so as to prevent the snake venom from spreading in the proximal direction and to slow the speed of spread. Afterward, loosen it once every 15-30 minutes, with each loosening lasting about 30 seconds to 1 minute. If the swelling at the injured area rapidly expands, check whether it is tied too tightly; the tying time should be shortened and the loosening time increased, so as to avoid ischemic necrosis of the limb.
4. If fangs are found, they should be removed immediately with tweezers. After local irrigation, routinely disinfect, and use 0.5% procaine for local block anesthesia. After the wound is ligated, it should be irrigated immediately. The irrigation fluid may be physiological saline, hydrogen peroxide, cold tea, soapy water, 0.1% potassium permanganate solution, etc. If none of the above liquids are available in the wild, the injured limb may be placed in a stream or pond to rinse.
5. Generally, after a venomous snake bite, debridement should be performed - use a small knife or a three-edged needle or another clean sharp instrument (preferably sterilized) to make a longitudinal or "＋"-shaped incision along the fang marks of the wound, about 1-2 cm long, deep to below the dermis, but not too deep, based on the principle of cutting through the skin between the two fang marks. However, if bitten by a five-pace snake or a viper, the wound will bleed continuously, so there is no need to perform debridement. In addition, if the bite is more than 24 hours old or the wound has already become necrotic, there is also no need for debridement. (After debridement) the wound should be washed immediately, using both hands from the proximal end toward the distal end and from all around toward the wound, repeatedly squeezing for about 15 minutes to make the venomous blood discharge; a breast pump or cupping jar may also be used to suction out the venom. Do not suck blood with the mouth, so as to avoid the toxin spreading from within the oral cavity; especially those with ulcers or cavities in the mouth must absolutely not suck out the venom. If poison accidentally gets into the mouth, spit it out immediately and rinse the mouth with liquor or clean water. According to the needs of the injury, this may be repeated after an interval of 12-24 hours.
6. Snake venom is a toxic protein and can be destroyed and disinfected by the matchstick burning method. Use 4-6 match heads, pile them on the wound, and ignite and burn, or use a lighter to burn at the wound, continuously 3-5 times. It is suitable for snake bites with relatively shallow fang marks, or for bitten patients whose wounds bleed continuously and are not suitable for debridement.
7. Immediately after the injury, take Chinese patent medicine for treating snake bites, with the first dose doubled. The snake medicine may also be mixed with saliva or warm water into a paste and applied about 2 cm around the wound; do not apply medicine on the wound itself, so as to avoid blocking the wound and hindering the outflow of lymph, and keep the applied area moist with medicine. Commonly used Chinese patent medicines include Nantong Snake Medicine (Ji Desheng Snake Medicine), Shanghai Snake Medicine Tablets, and Guangzhou Snake Bite Detoxification Tablets. If none are available, fresh herbal medicines may be used, such as fresh Chinese herbal medicines like Indian lobelia, Paris polyphylla, Houttuynia cordata, oldenlandia, Cynanchum paniculatum, Sedum sarmentosum, etc., washed clean, pounded with cold boiled water and taken orally, with the dregs applied externally to the wound. Using medicine after more than 24 hours is ineffective.
8. Go to the hospital as early as possible for treatment with anti-five-pace-snake-venom serum, along with symptomatic treatment such as anti-inflammatory and anti-tetanus treatment. In the absence of antivenom serum, snake bites generally show no obvious effect with either folk snake medicine or Western hemostatic drugs, and the mortality rate can be as high as 23%. Therefore, antivenom serum should be used early to neutralize free snake venom in the body and stop the spread of the snake venom.