In Vietnam, elderly man bitten by cobra carries snake home before hospital treatment

The patient, identified as N.V.T., from Dai Loc Commune in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang, was transferred to the hospital from a regional medical center.

A video circulating on social media shows an elderly man, missing both hands, walking along a road while holding a large cobra, its long body trailing across the ground behind him.

The man kept the reptile clamped against his body.

A person filming the incident can be heard urging him to drop the snake because of the danger, but he continued carrying it home.

The incident occurred on Sunday morning and the man was later taken to hospital by family members.

Doctors said the patient’s condition is stable and he is being monitored.

According to Dr. Hoang Huu Hieu, deputy head of the intensive care and toxicology department at Da Nang Hospital, people bitten by snakes should remain calm and respond appropriately to prevent the venom from spreading quickly.

Victims should lie still and limit movement.

They should not apply a tourniquet, cut the wound, attempt to suck out the venom or apply herbal remedies, as these actions can cause infection or tissue damage and may even lead to amputation.

The bitten limb should be immobilized with a splint and kept lower than the heart.

The wound can be gently washed with clean water and soap without scrubbing, then loosely covered with clean gauze before the victim is taken as quickly as possible to the nearest medical facility.

“If possible, try to remember or take a photo of the snake so doctors can identify it,” Hieu said.

“People should never attempt to chase or handle the snake with bare hands.”