GEORGE TOWN, Nov 17 — Sucking the venom out of a snakebite, a dramatic move popularised in movies, is not only useless but can be incredibly dangerous, a top expert from the Fire and Rescue Department’s King Cobra Squad has warned.

Northern region chief Noorizun Kechik explained that these and other common “remedies” are myths that can worsen the victim’s condition.

Here is what you should never do after a venomous snakebite:

Myth 1: Suck out the venom

Noorizun stressed that this is a futile and dangerous act.

Snake venom is made of large toxic protein molecules that are dispersed through the lymphatic system, which “ would have travelled into the body’s system almost immediately” at the instant of the bite.

Sucking the wound will not remove the venom but will instead expose the rescuer to it.

“Our gums are very sensitive, so imagine the venom on our gums. It could lead to nerve damage or worse,” he said, citing a real-life case where a colleague who did this later suffered severe health problems.

“He didn’t listen to me so a few years later, he called and asked me why all of his teeth are falling out, this was due to the venom’s effect on his gums as it attacked the circulatory system,” he said.

Myth 2: Cut the wound to bleed it out

This is another dangerous myth, he said when reiterating the futility of trying to manually extract the venom after the bite.

“The venom is already in the body system. Cutting the wound to let the blood out will not remove the venom but instead will only cause an added injury to the person,” Noorizun said.

He recalled a case where a victim who cut his own wound lost so much blood by the time he reached the hospital that he could not be saved.

Myth 3: Applying a tourniquet

Applying a tourniquet near the bite is also a critical mistake.

Noorizun explained that it can cause severe tissue damage by cutting off blood flow to the limb.

“Secondly, when you reach the hospital and the doctor removes the tourniquet... the blood will gush to the rest of your body, causing an immediate flow of venom directly to your heart,” he warned.

What you MUST DO after a venomous snakebite

Noorizun outlined three crucial steps to take:

1. Identify the snake (if possible)

“Take a picture of the snake so that... the hospital can give the correct anti-venom,” he said.

He stressed that receiving the correct anti-venom is a matter of life and death, as being given the wrong type can be fatal.

2. Stay calm and move slowly

The victim must remain as calm as possible and walk slowly to get help.

“The faster the heart rate, the faster the venom travels, so we want the venom to travel slowly in the body by remaining calm,” he explained.

3. Bandage the wound and go to a government hospital

The wound should be bandaged to control bleeding, and the victim must be taken to the nearest government hospital immediately.

“Very few people know this: no clinic or private hospital has anti-venom. Only the government hospitals have it,” Noorizun stated.

Related:

Know your snakes: A guide to Malaysia’s venomous reptiles and how to stay safe