Snake bite: crepe bandages no use
3 July 2009
Crepe bandages commonly included in first aid kits may not be effective in preventing the spread of snakebite venom.
Australian researchers found the median pressure generated by crepe bandages was 28 mmHg (millimetres of mercury), compared with 47 mmHg with elasticised bandages (Emergency Medicine Australasia 2009; 21: 184-90).
‘Commonly available standard crepe bandages, even if initially tightly applied and with additional immobilisation, quickly lose any effective pressure in the real-life scenario of transport in an ambulance,’ the authors said.
Bandage materials and technology had not been re-evaluated for almost 30 years, they said.
The researchers, from Charles Darwin University, NT, had 78 health professionals and 18 members of the general public apply crepe and elasticised bandages. They found both groups were poor at applying pressure bandages, supporting calls for additional first aid training and research, they said.
Last Reviewed: 03 July 2009
- 1. Canale E, Isbister GK, Currie BJ. Investigating pressure bandaging for snakebite in a simulated setting: bandage type, training and the effect of transport. Emergency Medicine Australasia 2009; 21: 184-90
