The facility located nearby is a great place for geocachers to know
about -- especially since it is one of the few places that stocks
anti-venom, which hopefully you will never need!
The following is excerpted from the August 2007 issue of "Inside
Your Home":
Dr. Jennifer C. Smith an accomplished toxicologist specializing
in envenomation at Loma Linda University Medical Center recently
addressed physicians and staff at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial
Hospital on the subject of managing and treating rattlesnake bites.
This was reportedly a timely subject because the Santa Clarita
Valley is experiencing a three-year drought and with meterologists
forecasting hot weather ahead, it is likely that area residents
will encounter more rattlesnakes.
Dr. Smith explained that rattlesnakes are the only venomous
snakes that exist in California. Out of six species of rattlesnakes
found in the state, the Southern Pacific rattlesnake is the one to
which the Santa Clarita Valley is home. Dr. Smith noted that ten
percent to 25 percent of all rattlesnake bites occur without the
snake injecting venom into the body. She said symptoms of snake
bites will typically occur within 8 hours. If no symptoms occur
after that time period, the snake bite was most likely a "dry" one
and no venom was injected. There are about 7,000 reported snake
bites in the US each year. Of all the snake bites in the US, only
about 15 deaths per year are the result of a venomous snake bite.
However, there are other related injuries such as limb loss and
loss of feeling.
In case of a rattlesnake bite it is recommended that you develop
an emergency plan before you need it. If you are less than one hour
from the emergency room, the following actions are recommended: try
to keep the victim calm; wash the area gently with soap and water;
apply a cold, wet cloth over the bite; transport the victim to the
nearest emergency facility for further treatment; call the
California Poison Control at 800-222-1222.
The following should never be done after a rattlesnake bite:
don't apply a tourniquet; don't pack the bite area in ice; don't
cut the wound with a knife or razor; don't use your mouth to suck
out the venom; don't let the victim drink alcohol; don't apply
electric shock.