Treating snake bites in the traditional way, the old lady almost lost her life

On the morning of February 25, Binh Thuan General Hospital sent an ambulance to urgently transfer the female patient to Cho Ray Hospital (HCMC) for intensive treatment because the provincial level lacked suitable antivenom serum. By the time she was transferred to the hospital, the venom was so strong that she vomited blood, her entire arm was swollen, purple and black, and many signs of muscle necrosis appeared.

Before that, around 4:00 p.m. on February 24, Mr. Sau cleaned grass around his house in Minh Thanh village, Ham Thuan Nam commune. An indigo snake hidden under a layer of dry leaves suddenly rushed forward and bit hard on the victim’s hand, then crouched down and lay still. Instead of quickly taking their loved one to a medical facility, the family picked leaves for him to drink and invited a local healer to apply medicine to treat the venom. At 10 p.m., she became seriously ill. Her family immediately called an ambulance from the Binh Thuan Search and Rescue Team for support and took her to the emergency room in critical condition.

Medical experts warn that the indigo snake has extremely strong venom, containing many enzymes that directly destroy red blood cells and cell tissue. This reptile has a triangular head, a body the color of earth or dry leaves, and often curls up and camouflages itself in damp corners waiting to hunt, making it very difficult for people working in the fields to detect it. When an incident occurs, people need to urgently take the victim to the hospital to be injected with specific anti-venom serum. The habit of applying oral remedies or delaying emergency treatment can easily put patients at risk of necrosis, having to have their joints removed, or even death.