Doctors in Australia are urging snake bite victims not to bring the snake that bit them to the emergency room.
The victims apparently think that bringing the snake with them will help doctors determine the best treatment for their wounds, but medical experts say it only makes matters worse.
For one thing, professional snake catcher Jonas Murphy tells the Australian Broadcasting Corp. the patient risks getting a follow-up bite, not to mention what could happen it the snake gets loose in the hospital.
Dr. Geoff Isbister, a clinical toxicology researcher at the University of Newcastle, adds that hospital staff aren’t trained to identify snakes, but they can administer tests to determine how to treat the victim.
And while you’re at it, notes The Wide Bay Hospital & Health Service, avoid applying a tourniquet, cutting the wound or sucking out the venom.