A 25-year-old female bitten by something with slurred speech, double vision, and excessive salivation; transport for antivenin is indicated. Which sequence best describes the initial management?

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Multiple Choice

A 25-year-old female bitten by something with slurred speech, double vision, and excessive salivation; transport for antivenin is indicated. Which sequence best describes the initial management?

The situation demands quickly addressing venom spread while preparing for the antidote. Neurotoxic signs like slurred speech, double vision, and excess saliva indicate a potential airway risk, so the goal is to stabilize and prepare for definitive treatment. Thoroughly washing the bite helps reduce infection risk, immobilizing the limb slows the venom’s movement through the lymphatic system, and establishing an IV line ensures you can administer antivenin as soon as possible. Then you transport promptly to a facility where antivenin is available. Avoid a tourniquet—they can cause tissue damage and don’t reliably stop venom spread. Antibiotics alone won’t counteract the venom, and discharging the patient without antivenin would be unsafe.

The situation demands quickly addressing venom spread while preparing for the antidote. Neurotoxic signs like slurred speech, double vision, and excess saliva indicate a potential airway risk, so the goal is to stabilize and prepare for definitive treatment. Thoroughly washing the bite helps reduce infection risk, immobilizing the limb slows the venom’s movement through the lymphatic system, and establishing an IV line ensures you can administer antivenin as soon as possible. Then you transport promptly to a facility where antivenin is available. Avoid a tourniquet—they can cause tissue damage and don’t reliably stop venom spread. Antibiotics alone won’t counteract the venom, and discharging the patient without antivenin would be unsafe.

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