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5 Comments on COGHLANS SNAKE BITE KIT

Gary W. Topic on Tue, 15th Jun 2010 10:02 am


I work as a tour guide in the outback of Australia. I was recently horrified to examine the contents of this snake bite kit that one of my overseas passengers was carrying. I seriously cannot believe that in this day and age of first aid wisdom, Coghlan’s are still selling such a frighteningly wrong product. Do they know nothing about correct snake bite treatment?

No you do not inject antivenin immediately, as the instructions advise. Antivenin can be just as dangerous as a snake bite, if the wrong one is administered. Further, if a snake bite is dry (most are), then the administration of antivenin is terribly dangerous. Only after a victim starts to show symptoms of invenimation should antivenin be given, and then only by an expert who has positively identified the type of snake.

No you should not clean the site of the bite. Leaving the bite alone is crucial to the correct identification of the venom and administration of the correct antivenin.

God no you should never cut into a snake bite with a scalpel. Are these guys serious!? How can they be so out of touch with correct first aid procedures? Not only do you risk introducing the venom into the bloodstream but cutting a patient will no doubt cause much anxiety and heighten the pulse rate… precisely what you are trying to avoid happening. The flowing blood will also wash away the venom which you need on the skin for identification purposes.

No you should not use a lymph constrictor. The lymph system is best slowed down by bandaging with a regular elastic bandage from the bite site down to the end of the limb, then all the way back up to the top of the limb. But then if Coghlan’s told people that, they wouldn’t make any money from selling these dodgy snake bite kits, would they?

I’m amazed Coghlan’s haven’t been sued for selling this product. I would strongly advise they remove it from the market, because it is a dangerous bit of merchandise. If Coghlan’s were in my first aid class, they would have received a fail.
Rating: 1 / 5

Michael Clarkson on Tue, 15th Jun 2010 11:12 am


The iodine in this kit will thin your blood and cause it to move more quickly through your body causing the snake venom to spread to areas it might not have should this old kit been used. I am amazed these are not illegal yet. No proffesional herpetologist would use this junk. Get to a hospital if bitten, snake bite kits do not work. Venom chemically reacts to blood the second it touches it, therefore mechanical treatments will never work. Go to a hospital, the only safe way to go. I wrote this review for your safety. There is a reason proffesionals don’t use this style kit. Don’t become the next statistic, don’t buy this kit!!!
Rating: 1 / 5

Gary W. Topic on Tue, 15th Jun 2010 12:41 pm


I work as a tour guide in the outback of Australia. I was recently horrified to examine the contents of this snake bite kit that one of my overseas passengers was carrying. I seriously cannot believe that in this day and age of first aid wisdom, Coghlan’s are still selling such a frighteningly wrong product. Do they know nothing about correct snake bite treatment?

No you do not inject antivenin immediately, as the instructions advise. Antivenin can be just as dangerous as a snake bite, if the wrong one is administered. Further, if a snake bite is dry (most are), then the administration of antivenin is terribly dangerous. Only after a victim starts to show symptoms of invenimation should antivenin be given, and then only by an expert who has positively identified the type of snake.

No you should not clean the site of the bite. Leaving the bite alone is crucial to the correct identification of the venom and administration of the correct antivenin.

God no you should never cut into a snake bite with a scalpel. Are these guys serious!? How can they be so out of touch with correct first aid procedures? Not only do you risk introducing the venom into the bloodstream but cutting a patient will no doubt cause much anxiety and heighten the pulse rate… precisely what you are trying to avoid happening. The flowing blood will also wash away the venom which you need on the skin for identification purposes.

No you should not use a lymph constrictor. The lymph system is best slowed down by bandaging with a regular elastic bandage from the bite site down to the end of the limb, then all the way back up to the top of the limb. But then if Coghlan’s told people that, they wouldn’t make any money from selling these dodgy snake bite kits, would they?

I’m amazed Coghlan’s haven’t been sued for selling this product. I would strongly advise they remove it from the market, because it is a dangerous bit of merchandise. If Coghlan’s were in my first aid class, they would have received a fail.
Rating: 1 / 5

TucsonShopper on Tue, 15th Jun 2010 2:13 pm


“Sucking out venom, either by mouth or with a pump, does not work and may harm the affected area directly.” (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.annemergmed.2005.12.019) Also forget cutting and restricting as suggested in this kit (see snakebite at Wikipedia).
Rating: 1 / 5

Scott Macritchie on Tue, 15th Jun 2010 4:50 pm


I just gave it to a friend and he tried it and there was a slight tear in one of the big cups. Anything I can do?
Rating: 1 / 5

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