October 20, 2014
A young boy has been airlifted to hospital this morning after a suspected snake bite.
RACQ CareFlight Rescue was called to a property north of Toowoomba about 8:00am.
The boy was bitten by what he described as a brown snake when he opened a screen door and accidentally stepped on it.
He was treated at the scene by the rescue crew before being transferred to the Toowoomba Base Hospital in a stable condition.
The boy is the third person to be airlifted by RACQ CareFlight Rescue with a suspected snake bite in just 10 days.
Last Wednesday, a 20-year-old woman was airlifted to hospital after a suspected snake bite on Fraser Island.
The Sydney woman told the rescue crew she was walking along a path at the resort when she decided to take a shortcut through the bush.
She described the snake as yellow in colour.
On October 10, a 10-year-old boy was airlifted from Warwick Hospital to Brisbane’s Mater Children’s after a snake bite.
The breed and colour of that snake were unknown.
CareFlight Chief Medical Officer Doctor Allan MacKillop said there were simple procedures to follow after any snake bite.
“Immobilise the patient and the limb, wrap a crepe bandage right down the limb and immediately call triple zero,” he said.
He said it was also very important not to try to kill or capture the snake.
“It’s a misconception that we must have the snake for diagnosis,” he said.
“Many people get bitten again trying to kill or capture it.”
