OneCeylon
All questions

Snake bite emergency protocol in Sri Lanka what tourists actually need to know

Seen by 1,084 travellers
Jump to the accepted answer
J
Jack O.•1125 rep•2

Doing 5 days of jungle trekking in Sinharaja and Knuckles I know Sri Lanka has cobras and vipers What is the ACTUAL protocol if bitten Which hospitals stock antivenom Do we need to bring the snake to identify it Is it as terrifying as blogs make it sound

3

3 Answers from travellers

✓Accepted Answer

Emergency-medicine perspective. Sri Lanka has ~96 snake species; only 5 are highly medically significant: Indian COBRA (Naja naja), Common KRAIT (Bungarus caeruleus), RUSSELL'S VIPER (Daboia russelii), SAW-SCALED VIPER (Echis carinatus), and HUMP-NOSED PIT VIPER (Hypnale hypnale). Most bites happen in rural agricultural areas at night when snakes are active and people are barefoot. IF BITTEN: (1) Keep the person as STILL as possible - lie down, immobilize the bitten limb with an improvised splint like a stick. Movement pumps venom through lymphatic vessels. (2) Remove tight jewelry/watches BEFORE swelling starts. (3) DO NOT cut the wound, DO NOT suck the venom, DO NOT apply a tourniquet (all discredited and harmful). (4) DO NOT try to catch or kill the snake - identification is helpful but not essential; polyvalent antivenom covers the big four. (5) Get to a GOVERNMENT hospital ASAP - they stock antivenom, it is FREE for tourists, and physicians are experienced (Sri Lanka has one of the highest snakebite research outputs in the world).

22
D
Dr. Kanchana W.•1080 rep•1

PREVENTION is 99 percent of the fight and it is easy. (1) Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes with ankle coverage on any jungle trail. (2) Use a torch at night, always - most bites are to people walking barefoot in the dark to a toilet or well. (3) Do not reach into holes, under logs, into piled stones, or into thick leaf litter. (4) Shake out shoes and bedding in rural stays before use. (5) Watch where you sit and set your pack down. On guided treks in Sinharaja and Knuckles you are with a ranger who knows the trails; incidents on registered guided treks are extremely rare (I know of none in the last 5 years for tourists). Take a photo from a SAFE distance if you can, but never at the cost of getting closer.

36
D
Dr. Kanchana W.•1080 rep•1

Boots, torch, don't reach into anything, government hospital not private for antivenom. Solid. Thanks doc.

15
J
Jack O.•1125 rep•2

You must be logged in to post an answer.

Log In to Answer

Related questions

Browse all questions