What's in a Snakebite Kit?

Snake-bite kits, which cost $4 to $15 and are sold in sporting-goods and camping stores, are intended to be used before antivenom can be administered. Kit contents vary, but often include a scalpel, a suction device and a constriction band to be tied around the limb to slow spread of the venom.

What is snake poison made of?

Snake venoms are complex mixtures of enzymes and proteins of various sizes, amines, lipids, nucleosides, and carbohydrates. Venoms also contain various metal ions that are presumed to act as cofactors and include sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and zinc.

Do bite sting kits work?

One of the most common questions is “Do venom extractors and other commercial snakebite kits actually help?” The short answer is no. In fact, most of the advice about snakebite first aid that has circulated over the past 500 years or so (and probably much longer) is bad information.