Cobra & krait warning signs
Krait bites often happen at night on floor beds and may leave no swelling. Watch for stomach pain, drooping eyelids, double vision, slurred speech, trouble swallowing and breathing difficulty.
WHO & MoHFW protocol
Snakebite is a medical emergency
Anti-snake venom (ASV) at a hospital is the only effective treatment. Don't lose time waiting for a snake catcher or visiting a traditional healer.
Do this
Call 108 or 112 immediately
Go to MKCG Medical College & Hospital, Berhampur, or the nearest government hospital with anti-snake venom (ASV).
Keep the person calm
Around 70% of bites are from non-venomous snakes or are "dry bites". Panic speeds up venom spread.
Immobilise the limb like a fracture
Keep the person still. Splint the bitten limb gently without squeezing it, and carry them to transport.
Remove rings, bangles and tight items
Take off jewellery, watches, threads or tight footwear near the bite before swelling starts.
Watch breathing and note the time
If vomiting or struggling to swallow, lay them on their left side. Tell the doctor when the bite happened.
Never do this
Never tie a tourniquet or rope
It cuts off blood flow, can cause gangrene and amputation, and releases a venom surge when untied.
Never cut, burn or scar the wound
Viper venom stops blood clotting — cuts cause uncontrollable bleeding and infection.
Never suck the venom
Venom cannot be sucked out, and it can harm the person trying.
No herbs, black stones, ice or chemicals
Pastes, potassium permanganate, mud or electric shocks make tissue damage worse.
Never delay for a healer or the snake
Do not stop at a faith healer (gunia / jhada-phunka), and never try to catch or kill the snake.
Warning signs to tell the doctor
Russell's & saw-scaled viper signs
Intense pain, fast-spreading swelling, blisters, bleeding from the bite or gums, blood in urine, low blood pressure and kidney injury. Hospitals use the 20-minute clotting test to guide ASV.
Children & the elderly
A snake injects the same venom into a child as an adult, so symptoms progress faster. Children receive the full adult ASV dose and need urgent hospital transfer.