This month, CoROM Conversations is joined by Dr Evan Baines, Emergency Medicine Physician, EMS Fellow, former 18D, and contributor to the JTS Snake Envenomation Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG).
Snake envenomation remains a major global health problem, with millions of bites occurring annually and a disproportionate burden falling on remote and resource-limited regions. In this episode, Dr Evan Baines discusses the development of the JTS Snake Envenomation CPG, practical field management, antivenom selection, operational planning, and common misconceptions surrounding snakebite treatment.
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction to Snake Envenomation
01:45 – Why Snake Bites Matter in Austere Medicine
04:00 – Snakebite Myths and Immediate First Aid
05:00 – The Four Envenomation Syndromes
08:00 – Operational Planning and Antivenom Selection
11:20 – Understanding the JTS Treatment Algorithms
16:00 – Case Study: Pit Viper Envenomation
22:00 – Determining When Antivenom Has Worked
24:00 – Antivenom Dosing Principles
26:00 – Field Diagnostics and Coagulopathy Assessment
28:00 – Neurotoxic Snake Bites and Respiratory Failure
33:00 – Why Identifying the Snake Often Doesn't Matter
34:00 – Dry Bites and Return-to-Duty Decisions
36:00 – Antivenom Reactions and Anaphylaxis Management
39:00 – Tourniquets, Pressure Bandages, and Controversies
46:00 – Life Over Limb? Risk-Benefit Decision Making
51:00 – Airway Management in Neurotoxic Envenomation
55:00 – Regulatory Challenges and Deployment Considerations
57:45 – Key Take-Home Messages
