new Setopress bandages for snakebite

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This is a product now endorsed by rescue and medical personnel for snakebite , old crepe bandages are sometimes ineffective , if you read the article in full you will see these new bandages have a pressure indicator in the fabric which tells you if they are too loose or too tight.

and by the way , these guys also recommend not trying to walk out after a snakebite , just hit your EPIRB , bandage the leg / arm tightly and sit down in a cool place to slow down your metabolism.

see full article and supplier names http://bsar.org/setopress

Setopress bandages for snakebite and sprains

As Australian snake venom is carried in the lymphatic system the first aid treatment is to use a pressure bandage to wrap the bitten limb from fingers to armpit or toes to groin. Imobilise the limb, and transport the patient to care. Do not allow them to walk out.

Many of us carry a crepe bandage, or even better, an elastic Ace bandage to do this. However on the Training Weekend, many members were a little surprised when they attempted to use these to apply first aid. The crepe bandages were essentially useless. Even with two of the heavier elastic bandages, it was impossible to wrap higher than just above the knee.


The bandage sometimes started to slip off straight away, and if it stayed up there was no way to tell if it was firm enough or too tight. (Blue toes or decreased venous return indicate that it is too tight, but it is then necessary to unwrap the bandage and start again, allowing a surge of venom into the body.)

A bandage that is designed to regulate venous drainage was much more effective. The Setopress Bandage which was demonstrated has a number of advantages. Primarily it is wider (10cm) and longer (3.5M) than most crepe or elastic bandages. This will allow a single bandage to reach the knee or armpit, and two to reach the groin.

To regulate the tightness (and therefore effective pressure) the bandage has a continuous series of green and brown rectangles printed along it's length. As the bandage is stretched, the green rectangles become squares. Increase the tension, and the brown rectangles become squares. At this tension lymphatic return is minimised, controlling flow of venom to the body.

The brown indicators are the ones you should use for treating a snakebite. When the brown indicators become squares (the maximum pressure) lymphatic return should be minimised reducing the circulation of any venom.
The squares are also offset slightly so if you cover the squares with each wrap of the bandage you should get the right amount of overlap.
 
Good stuff Headsup.
I'll be getting a couple of them for the first aid kit for sure.
 
Snake bite treatment is something I really need to study up on. Sure I've done a few first aid courses over the years but my brain is like a sieve and needs topping up every so often :lol:. Your post is most useful HU so thank you.
 
I have done 4 first aid courses over the years but you need to do it once a year to keep up to date on the new methods I always learn some thing new when I do the course when the chance come to do the course I jump at it :)
 
Setopress application guide below is for use with leg ulcers ( yuk ) , use the same wrapping technique for snakebites except tighter , you want enough bandage tension so you see brown squares on the fabric.

easy to remember , if you get bitten by a snake you would be near crapping yourself so just think brown squares . lol

( the shape and colour changes for different tension / pressure )

brown squares remember !

and these bandages are reusable , so you can practice a couple of times at home

ps , the same technique is used for funnelweb spider bites , but not for redbacks

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/doc/member-docs/414/1389003637_setopress_application_guide.pdf
 
Nugget said:
Snake bite treatment is something I really need to study up on. Sure I've done a few first aid courses over the years but my brain is like a sieve and needs topping up every so often :lol:. Your post is most useful HU so thank you.

yeah i do the St Johns course every few years but its a bit brain numbing if you dont practice using it

DRABC is easy to remember though
 
Great post Headsup. Lets hope noone needs to use them ever.. Might be an idea for a group buy? I go to a remote area and would be up for a couple of these

Cheers, Tone
 
mmmm, Heads Up, not sure when you last did a refresher, but St John have changed since I last did CPR.
It's now DRSABCD

See attached pic

1389054500_drsabcd.png


Anyone can Google Snake Bite Treatment, try to look at the St John site if any. http://stjohn.org.au/assets/uploads/fact sheets/english/FS_snakebite.pdf

5 Simple steps -
Don't wash the bite area
Apply Pressure bandage start at the bite work all the way up the limb and back down if enough bandages
Lie down don't move
Re assure the victim
Send for or get help

Of course, if you are out there by yourself a PLB is a must. I'm in the process of buying one.
http://www.ja-gps.com.au/GME/mt410g-plb/ I reckon my life is well worth a little over $300, because as things stand, I will be out there on my own more often than not.
 
Oh and I will be getting a couple of the Setopress bandages. Does anyone know if they are available in store in SA?
Otherwise I'll internet order.
 
jimnyjerry said:
Great post Headsup :) Will have to chase up one of those bandages.

probably use 2

one will go up to the knee but they recommend going up to the groin so it would take two . depends how skinny the persons legs is of course

hope i am never out with the incredible hulk on snakebiting day . that guy would be expensive

imagine the arguments if two people got bitten by the one snake and you only had two bandages ?
 
http://nswfirstaid.com.au/products-page-2/first-aid-kits/snake-bite-kit/
You can also get heavy duty compression bandages in other brands for a lot less than the Setopress ones, although they don't have the telltale squares which are a great idea. There are 15cm x 4m ones out there for about $6 each or you can get a neat little kit like the one above for $15 which includes 3 compression bandages. I have a similar made up snake kit in my harness + provision for snake bite in my main first aid kit in the ute. As a minimum I keep 3 x 10cmx3.5m heavy duty compression bandages in both.
 
I received a tip from my paramedic brother before my last trip to the 'creek' and that was to carry a permanent marker with your bandage and use it circle the bite wound on the skin and again on the outside of the constrictive bandage wrap so the treating medicos can treat the bite area and immoblised limb before removing the bandage. This is critically important if the limb has been wrapped for an extended period of time. Constrictive bandages should only be removed by medical personal

casper
 
casper said:
I received a tip from my paramedic brother before my last trip to the 'creek' and that was to carry a permanent marker with your bandage and use it circle the bite wound on the skin and again on the outside of the constrictive bandage wrap so the treating medicos can treat the bite area and immoblised limb before removing the bandage. This is critically important if the limb has been wrapped for an extended period of time. Constrictive bandages should only be removed by medical personal

casper

the marker idea is good in case youre off the planet by the time they get to you .

not loosening or removing the bandage is a good idea too coz the toxins released can overwhelm the person in a deadening kind of way , leave it to the medical experts

if your toes start going purple it usually means a bandage is too tight , but that shouldnt happen with the setopress ones
 
casper said:
I received a tip from my paramedic brother before my last trip to the 'creek' and that was to carry a permanent marker with your bandage and use it circle the bite wound on the skin and again on the outside of the constrictive bandage wrap so the treating medicos can treat the bite area and immoblised limb before removing the bandage. This is critically important if the limb has been wrapped for an extended period of time. Constrictive bandages should only be removed by medical personal

casper
Marking the area & using a non adherant pad over the bite area also allows the medical people to test the area + dressings/bandages for traces of venom to correctly identify the snake & administer the correct anti venom if required. The fact is the majority of bites don't actually envenomate & don't require anti venom but all bites have to be treated as envenomating.
 
The marker is recommended.. saves the medicos valuable time and also assists in the finding of any residual venom that may be on the skin surface which can aid in identification of the snake and target the treatment.

casper
 
mbasko said:
casper said:
I received a tip from my paramedic brother before my last trip to the 'creek' and that was to carry a permanent marker with your bandage and use it circle the bite wound on the skin and again on the outside of the constrictive bandage wrap so the treating medicos can treat the bite area and immoblised limb before removing the bandage. This is critically important if the limb has been wrapped for an extended period of time. Constrictive bandages should only be removed by medical personal

casper
Marking the area & using a non adherant pad over the bite area also allows the medical people to test the area + dressings/bandages for traces of venom to correctly identify the snake & administer the correct anti venom if required. The fact is the majority of bites don't actually envenomate & don't require anti venom but all bites have to be treated as envenomating.

Thanks mbasko - we cross posted :D

casper
 
mbasko said:
http://nswfirstaid.com.au/products-page-2/first-aid-kits/snake-bite-kit/
You can also get heavy duty compression bandages in other brands for a lot less than the Setopress ones, although they don't have the telltale squares which are a great idea. There are 15cm x 4m ones out there for about $6 each or you can get a neat little kit like the one above for $15 which includes 3 compression bandages. I have a similar made up snake kit in my harness + provision for snake bite in my main first aid kit in the ute. As a minimum I keep 3 x 10cmx3.5m heavy duty compression bandages in both.

somebody was selling a "snakebite kit" on ebay a while back but i didnt see them listed for a while , i think they were only ordinary crepe bandages though :/

the kit you linked to above is very good value . but i ordered the setopress ones so i know i have the right tension , kind of the " snakebite for dummies kit" :8
 
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