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Hikers resting in a clearing, one person sitting still with a leg stretched out while another phones

Someone has been bitten by a snake (adder)

A bite, a fright – an adder bite is usually not life-threatening, but always a case for the emergency call. Calm, keeping still and no old home remedies.

First

  1. Stay calm and reassure the person who was bitten. Move away from the snake – do not try to catch or kill it.
  2. Call 112 (in Austria the ambulance on 144). Say that it is a snakebite, where it is and how the person is.
  3. Have the person sit or lie down and move as little as possible. Remove rings, watch and tight shoes from the bitten arm or leg at once, before it swells.
  4. Keep the bitten arm or leg still, as with a fracture. Do not cut, do not suck, do not tie off, no ice, no alcohol.

Call emergency services if

  • After any bite from a venomous or unknown snake
  • Swelling is spreading or the skin is changing colour
  • Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or dizziness
  • Breathlessness, facial swelling or a rash all over the body
  • The person bitten is a child, older or ill
  • Unconsciousness

Emergency numbers for Austria · Change region

What is happening

In Austria and Germany the adder (Vipera berus) is the most common venomous snake. It lives in bogs, heaths, at forest edges, in clearings and on mountain meadows up into high alpine terrain. In parts of southern Austria the nose-horned viper also occurs, and in southern Germany, very rarely, the asp viper. All are shy and usually only bite when stepped on or grabbed.

A bite hurts, the area swells and may turn bluish. Often little or no venom enters the wound. Sometimes, however, swelling and discolouration spread over the whole arm or leg, and nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, dizziness or circulation problems follow. Rarely there is also an allergic reaction. Deaths are very rare in Europe.

Children, older and ill people are at greater risk because they weigh less relative to the amount of venom or have fewer reserves. So every snakebite needs medical treatment – even if it seems harmless at first. Symptoms can develop only after hours. In hospital the person is monitored and given antivenom if needed.

Many old pieces of advice are dangerous: cutting, sucking, tying off, burning or ice do more harm than good. Lay help means: stay calm, call for help, remove rings, keep the limb still and watch the person.

Step by step

  1. Phase 1

    The first minutes

    • Move away from the snake, at least a few metres. Do not catch it, do not kill it – that often leads to more bites.
    • Have the bitten person sit or lie down and reassure them: “Most bites turn out fine. Help is on the way.”
    • Call 112 (in Austria the ambulance on 144): “snakebite”, location, time, the person's age, symptoms.
    • Remove rings, bracelets, watch and tight shoes from the bitten limb at once.

  2. Phase 2

    Until rescuers arrive

    • Keep the bitten arm or leg still, much as for a fracture – with a jacket, triangular bandage or a loosely applied splint.
    • If possible, do not let the person walk. If they must walk, then slowly and with breaks.
    • Cover the bite loosely with a clean dressing. Do not apply a firm pressure bandage.
    • Mark the edge of the swelling on the skin with a pen and the time – this lets the ambulance crew see how fast it is growing.
    • Watch the person: breathing, skin colour, responsiveness. With nausea, dizziness or breathlessness, inform the emergency services again at once.
    • Do not give painkillers, alcohol or food on your own initiative; small sips of water are fine if the person is awake.

  3. Phase 3

    If things get worse

    • Breathlessness, facial swelling or a rash all over the body: this may be an allergic reaction. If the person has their own adrenaline pen, help them use it.
    • Dizziness, pallor, weakness: lay them flat, raise the legs.
    • Unconscious with normal breathing: recovery position. No normal breathing: start CPR and follow the dispatcher's instructions.

  4. Phase 4

    Afterwards

    • Even with a mild course, people usually stay in hospital for a few hours of observation.
    • Have tetanus protection checked.
    • A bite is a fright. Nightmares or fear of the next outing are normal and usually pass. Talking about it helps – especially children.

★ Pro tips

What experienced people do differently: proven practice from mountain rescue, fire services, lifeguards and civil protection that beginners rarely know.

  1. You don't need to identify the snake

    In hospital, treatment is based on symptoms, not on what the snake looked like. Just remember roughly the colour and size if you saw it. Note: adders don't always have the zigzag – some are completely black.

  2. Take extra care in spring and early morning

    Snakes are cold-blooded. On cool mornings and in spring they bask on sunny rocks and paths and are still sluggish, so they move away more slowly. That's exactly when people are most likely to step on one by accident.

  3. Report it early, even if it seems mild

    Not every hospital keeps antivenom in stock. Calling early gives the ambulance service time to choose the right hospital. So call even if it barely hurts at first.

  4. Lift logs and stones towards you

    When gathering wood or setting up camp, snakes like to shelter under logs and stones. Lift them by the far edge and tip them towards you, so the object stays between you and whatever is underneath.

What to watch out for

  • Dangerous home remedies

    Cutting, sucking (including with suction pumps), tying off, burning, ice or alcohol do not help and can destroy tissue, cause infection or cut off circulation.

  • “Nothing much happened”

    Little pain at first does not mean no venom is working. Symptoms can appear hours later. So always have it checked by a doctor.

  • Allergic reaction

    Rarely the body reacts allergically to the venom – with breathlessness, facial swelling, rash and circulation problems. That is an acute emergency.

  • A second bite

    Anyone who tries to catch, kill or photograph the snake is often bitten a second time – helpers too. Even a snake that seems dead can still bite.

Common mistakes

  • Cutting open or sucking the wound.
  • Tying off the arm or leg.
  • Putting ice directly on the bite.
  • Letting the bitten person walk quickly to the car.
  • Leaving rings on until it is too late.
  • Not getting medical help because it “only hurts a little”.

Prepare in advance

  • In snake areas wear sturdy, ankle-high boots and long trousers.
  • Stay on paths and tread firmly – snakes feel the vibration and move away.
  • Do not reach into rock crevices, under stones or into dense grass; look before you sit down.
  • Never touch or provoke snakes, not even with sticks; explain this to children.
  • Take a first aid kit with a triangular bandage and elastic bandage.
  • Know the emergency numbers: 112 anywhere in Europe, in Austria ambulance 144 and alpine rescue 140.

Special consideration

Children
After a bite, carry a child rather than letting them walk, and take them on your lap. Explain calmly what is happening. With children always call for help, even if it looks harmless at first.
Dogs
Dogs get bitten too, often on the nose or paw. Keep the dog calm, carry it if possible and go to a vet at once.

Sources

  • Epidemiology of snakebites in Europe: a systematic review of the literature · Toxicon 59(1): 86–99 (J.-P. Chippaux), 2012
  • International First Aid, Resuscitation, and Education Guidelines 2020 · International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) – Global First Aid Reference Centre, 2020
  • European Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2021: First Aid · European Resuscitation Council – Resuscitation (journal), 2021
  • Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ) · Gesundheitsportal Österreich (gesundheit.gv.at), Bundesministerium für Soziales, Gesundheit, Pflege und Konsumentenschutz
  • 112 – the European emergency number · European Commission
  • Notrufnummern (oesterreich.gv.at) · Bundesministerium für Finanzen – Amtshelfer oesterreich.gv.at

Your situation

Who was bitten?
How is the person?
Phone signal
Who is with you?

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Basics for this situation

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All rules of this situation (8)

  1. [not active] If Who was bitten? = Child, older or ill person

    Children, older and ill people often react more strongly to the venom. Mention age and existing conditions in the emergency call. Take a child on your lap, comfort them and keep them still.

  2. [not active] If How is the person? = Only pain and swelling at the bite

    Even if it looks harmless: every snakebite belongs in hospital. Symptoms can appear only after hours. Cover the bite loosely and mark the edge of the swelling with the time on the skin.

  3. [not active] If How is the person? = Nausea, dizziness, breathlessness, pale or weak

    Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, breathlessness or circulation problems are alarm signs – this can also be an allergic reaction. Inform 112 / 144 again at once, lay the person down and watch them constantly.

  4. [not active] If How is the person? = Unresponsive

    Speak to them, check breathing. If the person is breathing normally: recovery position and keep watching. If not breathing normally: start CPR and follow the dispatcher's instructions.

  5. [not active] If Phone signal = No signal

    Without signal: still try 112. In a group, two people go for help while the bitten person lies still. Alone: walk slowly with breaks to the nearest path or village rather than waiting for hours.

  6. [not active] If Phone signal = Signal available

    After the emergency call, stay reachable. A photo of the snake from a safe distance can help but is not necessary – never go closer for it.

  7. [not active] If Who is with you? = I was bitten myself and am alone

    Alone: call first, then sit down and breathe calmly. Fear makes the heart race – that is normal and passes. Adder envenomation is only rarely life-threatening in adults.

  8. [not active] If Who is with you? = Several people

    One person stays with the bitten person and talks calmly to them, one makes the call, one goes to the nearest path to guide the rescuers in.