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Emergency

Snakebite first aid

Treat every snake bite as a medical emergency, even if it doesn't hurt. Australian snake bites are often painless, and symptoms can take hours to show.

Call 000

No mobile coverage? Use Emergency SOS via satellite on newer iPhones, or a personal locator beacon.

  1. Calling000

    Call 000 now

    Ask for an ambulance, even if the person feels fine.

  2. Move away and keep still

    Get clear of the snake, then lie the person down and keep them calm. Don't let them walk. Leave their clothes on and bandage over them.

  3. Bandage over the bite

    Use a broad elastic bandage, 10 to 15 cm wide, and wrap it firmly over the bite. No bandage? Use strips of clothing or a towel.

  4. Bandage the whole limb

    With a second bandage, start at the fingers or toes and wrap up the limb as far as it goes, covering the bite. Make it firm, like for a sprain: you shouldn't easily slide a finger under it. Leave the fingertips or toes showing so you can check they stay pink.

  5. Mark the bite

    Draw an X on the bandage over the bite with a pen, so hospital staff can find it.

  6. Splint it and keep them still

    Tie something rigid along the limb, like a stick or rolled-up newspaper, so the joints can't bend. For an arm, a sling works too. Keep the person lying still until the ambulance arrives.

Don't

  • Wash, cut or suck the bite.
  • Use a tourniquet.
  • Take the bandage off. Hospital staff will do that.
  • Try to catch or kill the snake. Doctors don't need it to treat the bite.

Bitten on the body, head or neck?

Press firmly over the bite if you can, without making it hard to breathe. Keep the person lying completely still.

If they collapse or stop breathing

If they don't respond and aren't breathing normally, start CPR: 30 firm chest compressions, then 2 breaths, and repeat. Use a defibrillator (AED) if there's one nearby. The 000 operator will talk you through it.

Signs the venom is working

Tell 000 straight away if you notice any of these.

  • Headache, nausea or vomiting
  • Stomach pain
  • Blurred or double vision, or drooping eyelids
  • Trouble speaking, swallowing or breathing
  • Muscle weakness
  • Bleeding from the bite or gums
  • Confusion, dizziness or collapse

Tell the paramedics

  • What time the bite happened.
  • When the bandage went on.
  • What the snake looked like, if you saw it without going closer.

Where these steps come from

These steps follow the first aid guidelines of the Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation (ANZCOR), which the Australian Resuscitation Council publishes. They are the same steps taught in nationally accredited first aid courses (HLTAID011 Provide First Aid), and match advice from healthdirect, NSW Health and the Australian Venom Research Unit. Checked October 2026.

This page is general information. It doesn't replace hands-on first aid training or the instructions of the 000 operator. The illustrations show a bite on the leg; for an arm, start the second bandage at the fingers. To practise it properly, book an accredited first aid course near you.

ANZCOR pressure immobilisation guideline healthdirect: snake bites Australian Venom Research Unit