Inverell Hospital transfers suspected snake bite victim to Tamworth

Around 6:50 p.m. on Sunday night the Westpac Rescue Helicopter was tasked by New South Wales Ambulance on a medical retrieval to Inverell Hospital to transfer a 7-year-old boy to Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital suffering a suspected tiger snake bite.

The patient was stabilised by the Helicopter Critical Care Medical Team prior to airlifting him to Tamworth.

Read also:

Last week Hunter New England health issued a warning to residents to beware of snakes and to familiarise themselves with first aid techniques.

They said knowing what to do - and what not to do - with the patient after dialling triple zero and before paramedics arrived was vital.

Reassure and calm the patient down.

If you do have a bandage, wrap the bandage around the wound and then up the limb, about the same sort of tension you would use for a sprained ankle, being sure not to cut off the circulation.

A properly applied wound dressing can delay the effects of any sort of snake bites for hours until such time as they get proper medical assistance.

Never cut the wound or apply a tourniquet because that may only cause further injury.

Never clean a wound, always just apply the bandage straight over it, don't wash or clean the wound, as this will probably reduce the ability to do any sort of venom testing

Not applying the correct dressing, walking a patient, or walking after being bitten by a snake can rapidly increase the effects the snake bite has and also reduce the time that it takes for that snake bite's venom to become fatal.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: