Snakes abound: Jerilderie boy makes full recovery following snake bite

The family were preparing to leave when Evan walked behind one of the cars to help load  the trunk.

It was then that he felt a distinct pinch on his right ankle and looked down to discover the coiling body of a snake.

‘‘It wasn’t in the place you’d expect,’’ said Evan’s mother Carmen Lawton.

‘‘We had been there a couple hours, the grass was short and green, you wouldn’t have thought there’d be a snake’’.

The brown snake, or tiger snake — Evan was treated for both — left a distinct bite mark but had vanished by the time his mother found him.

Fortunately the family was only a few blocks from the Jerilderie hospital and Evan was bandaged and treated within ten minutes of the incident.

‘‘The staff were fantastic, they had his entire leg bandaged and made sure he didn’t move until the next day,’’ said Mrs Lawton.

The venom from snake bites is transmitted through the nervous system, which means victims must remain completely still to prevent its spread.

‘‘He didn’t eat or move for 19 hours by his count the next day,’’ said Mrs Lawton.

‘‘It was very difficult for him but we’re very proud of how he handled it.’’

Evan was transferred immediately to Albury hospital, where he arrived at 3:30 pm.

‘‘Initially we assumed it was a dry bite,’’ said Mrs Lawton.

A dry bite — common but not unique in reptiles such as snakes — is an initial bite that does not release venom, it is estimated that 80 per cent of Australian Brown Snakes administer dry bites.

Symptoms of a dry bite may include pain, swelling, or bleeding, but medical experts advise that victims seek professional treatment regardless.

Though Evan showed no symptoms for the entirety of his hospital visit, blood tests revealed trace ammounts of venom in his system.

‘‘I was initially concerned when they gave him antivenom for tiger snake and brown snake venom,’’ said Mrs Lawton.

‘‘Because, you know there can be a pretty bad reaction to those if you’re not actually sick, and I told them ‘you know he seems quite well actually’’’.

In cases where the venom cannot be identified it is common for patients to recieve multiple doses of antivenom from common, yet distinct, subspecies.

This month marks the first month of snake season, with warmer weather driving snakes out of their winter hibernation period.

There are over 3,000 recorded snakebites every year in Australia, resulting in an average 550 hospitalisations and two deaths per annum.

Though 57 per cent of bites happen in regional or rural areas, the majority of all bites happen near buildings or homes as was the case with Evan and his family.

Longtime paramedic Bob Crampton, who is currently working with the NSW Ambulance Service in Finley, said immediate action in the event of a snake bite is crucial.

‘‘The most important thing to do in the event of a snake bite is to keep the patient calm and don not wash the bite area. This will allow doctors to swab the area and determine the kind of antivenom needed,’’ Mr Crampton said.

‘‘Next you should apply a roller bandage and apply it directly onto the bite wound, before working your way down the limb right to the end and back up.

‘‘Do this firmly as you would for a sprained ankle.’’

Mr Crampton said that as long as the patient is calm — which will reduce the spread of the venom — patients can wait hours for treatment and not show any symptoms.

But nonetheless, he advises residents that an ambulance should be called for any snake bite, even if you think it is a dry bite.

‘‘It’s not the kind of thing you want to take chances on,’’ he said.

Common wisdom for avoiding snakes in the first place includes wearing protective clothing (such as boots or long pants), avoiding dry overgrown grass or paddocks and making noise while you walk.

Evan has since made a full recovery from his encounter.