injuries and poisoning
Snakebites
Diagnosis of Snakebites
A doctor's evaluation Hospitalization for observation for bites with envenomation Emergency medical personnel must try to determine whether the snake was venomous, what species it was, and whether venom was injected. The bite marks sometimes suggest whether the snake was venomous. The fangs of a venomous snake usually produce one or two large punctures, whereas the teeth of nonvenomous snakes usually leave multiple small rows of scratches. Without a detailed description of the snake, doctors may have difficulty determining the particular species that caused the bite. Envenomation is recognized by the development of characteristic symptoms. People who are bitten by a venomous snake are generally kept in the hospital for observation for 6 to 8 hours to see if any symptoms develop. Doctors do various tests to assess the effects of the venom. 