Abstract
Snake envenomation is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Historically, the threat posed from the bite of a venomous snake led to the use of numerous treatment modalities of variable efficacy, many based on traditional practice rather than sound scientific knowledge. Research has proven many of these unfounded practices to be ineffective and actually harmful.
With increasing use of the Internet for health information by both clinicians and patients, there is concern that improper treatment modalities regarding snake envenomation prehospital care are being perpetuated. To investigate this hypothesis, 2 major search engines were used to review 48 websites regarding 7 prehospital treatment options for snake envenomation (suction, immobilization, cryotherapy, heat, electric shock, incision, and removal of constrictive devices). Websites were evaluated for their quality using the Health on the Net (HON) seal and Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks.
Of the 48 websites reviewed, 26 contained inaccurate recommendations, and the remaining 22 websites were accurate regarding all topics addressed. Among the websites reviewed, improper treatment recommendations included: suction (14); ice/cryotherapy (6); incision (4); and electric shock (1). Five websites (
This study highlights the variety of misinformation available on the internet regarding prehospital care of snake envenomation and the unreliability of the HON seal and JAMA benchmarks as markers of accuracy. As the internet becomes an increasing source of medical information for both the public and clinicians, the importance of accurate websites becomes imperative. Clinicians and patients should be aware of the high variability of internet information regarding snake bite prehospital care.