What To Do If : You Get Bitten by a Poisonous Snake

This information pertains predominantly to pit viper bites which make up the majority of snake bites in the United States. Of those bites, the rattle snake is usually the culprit. Very rarely, someone manages to get bitten by a coral snake. This takes a lot of effort because coral snakes have very small mouths, very small fangs and a very poor delivery system for their venom. You practically have to stick your finger in the mouth of a coral snake to get bitten by one. Never-the-less, it happens.

Most importantly, understand that there are approximately 9000 poisonous snake bites in the U.S. per year and of those, 5 to 10 deaths. Most deaths are a result of inappropriate treatment.

With that in mind:
Make certain the snake actually injected you with venom. Just because he sticks his fangs in doesn't mean he did and there is no sense raising all hell and high water for 2 puncture wounds. Remember, you are not a meal for a snake. You are too big. When a snake lunges out and bites you, 99.9% of the time it is a defensive, "get the hell away from me" bite. The majority of snakes (in this country) are not aggressive. The Cottonmouth (also known as the Water Moccasin found in southern swamps), maybe. Snakes are usually lying around, minding their own business when someone accidentally (or deliberately - never a good idea), steps on them. Two puncture wounds do not necessarily mean you're in trouble. You'll know when you are in trouble because you will be in excruciating pain. The exception is a coral snake bite. Their venom is a neurotoxin and symptoms can be delayed. Most venom is cytotoxic or hemolytic and will begin breaking down tissue or destroying blood cells on contact. The purpose of venom is to start dissolving or incapacitating the snake’s lunch. Fortunately, the snake knows you are not lunch so if he injects, he only injects a small or moderate amount. If he injected you with the same amount of venom he injects into a rabbit, you would be in a lot more trouble then you already are.

O.K., let's assume you have been bitten and injected with venom. The only appropriate action is to immediately figure out how you are going to get to a hospital. Treatment for a snake bite is simple; anitvenom, antivenom and then some more antivenom. You're not treating the bite; you're treating the venom, molecule for molecule. The good news is, if you get bitten by a snake you are probably in an area where the nearest hospital will know how to handle it. If they don't have any antivenom on hand, they'll know where to get it.

There is all kinds of misinformation about first aid for snake bites. Most of it is quite comical.
The funniest is:
Keep calm. Trust me, when a snake lunges with his big fangs dripping with venom and latches on to your arm or leg, you will not be able to keep calm. The reasoning behind it is erroneous anyway. The thinking is, if you keep calm, your heart rate will slow down and you won't be circulating venom through your bloodstream as quickly. Venom circulates through the lymphatics not the blood. So you can jump around all you want. It won't make a difference.
Suck the venom out with your mouth or a straw: This is my favorite. First of all, it's not possible. There is so much swelling and bruising that starts right after the bite that those 2 puncture wounds will not be open enough to allow the venom to tunnel its way out even if you could provide an enormous amount of suction (which you can't). If anyone tells you they have done it and it was successful its because the snake never injected any venom to begin with. If you insist on doing this, you do not have to worry about all the venom leaking out of those holes and into your mouth and poisoning you. The snake venom would be neutralized by stomach acid so go right ahead, you're safe.
Apply ice. This is a dangerous first aid recommendation because the tendency is to stick the bitten arm or leg into a bucket of ice. By the time you get to the hospital the doctor will have to deal with snake bite AND frost bite. If you must, simply apply a little ice pack, a few minutes on and a few minutes off and maybe the bite won't hurt so bad.
Apply a tourniquet: Again, the problem with recommending a tourniquet is that the inclination will be to tie the thing so tight you cut off the blood supply completely. With all the tissue destruction already happening, you will only compound the problem. A very lightly applied tourniquet won't do any harm and you will feel like you're doing something.
To be con't....