Queensland woman flown to hospital after eastern brown snake bite
The young woman was sleeping in bed when she was bitten by one of the most venomous snakes in the world.
A woman was flown to hospital from a regional Queensland town after she was unsuspectingly bitten by one of the most venomous snakes in the world while in bed.
Emergency services, including an aeromedical crew and local paramedics, were alerted of the incident just after 1am Friday, following reports a woman in her 20s had received a snake bite on the hand.
It’s suspected the snake was a highly venomous eastern brown snake.
A Toowoomba-based LifeFlight Surat Gas Aeromedical Service (SGAS) was dispatched to a remote property in the Western Downs region, where the woman was flown to Toowoomba Hospital in a stable condition.
Prior to the arrival of local paramedics, her family had also applied bandages to the bite area. Anti-venom was also available on the chopper, however it was not administered.
The eastern brown snake is considered to be the second most venomous snake in the world and can outrun a person running at full-speed, second to the inland Taipan.
If untreated, the snake bite can lead to progressive paralysis or excessive bleeding in the brain. Eastern brown snake venom also contains neurotoxins, cardiotoxins, and nephrotoxins which are destructive to nerve cells, cardiac muscle cells and kidney cells.
According to Australia Wide First Aid, the snakes, which are found across mainland eastern Australia, are responsible for about 60 per cent of snake bite deaths in Australia.
If a bite occurs, the patient is recommended to remain as still as possible to stop the venom from progressing inside the body, and to apply a heavy elastic bandage with consistent pressure that’s firm but doesn’t cut off circulation.
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