Commonly accepted methods for treating snakebites, such as making an incision and sucking out the poison or applying a tourniquet, are not only wrong but also potentially harmful, suggests researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. Such practices may delay medical care, contaminate the wound or damage nerves and blood vessels.

Instead the victim should be moved out of harm's way from the snake, placed in a resting position, and kept warm. Their rings, watches and binding clothing should be removed, and they should not ingest any stimulants. They wounded part of the body should be "immobilized in a functional position below the level of the heart," and they should be transported immediately to the nearest medical facility.

Researchers estimate that there are about 7,000 to 8,000 bites by venomous snakes in the U.S. each year, of which five to six result in death. Most of the bites, they say, result from people putting themselves in close contact with the snakes, including trying to pick it up or kill it.

The New England Journal of Medicine 2002;347:347-356