– When I saw the dots on the calf and the blood that oozed out, I realized that it had to be a viper, Mirjam Salvesen Forengen tells. She and her family were at the cabin on Lake Oggevatn when they heard screaming and found their three-year-old daughter in a panic. At first they thought she had been stung by a wasp, but quickly realized it was a viper bite. – Then we had a bit of a panic, it was not possible to talk to her. The first 24 hours were very dramatic, she swelled up more and more. The family has previously told the story to Fædrelandsvennen. When Kaja was bitten by a viper this summer, she became seriously ill. Photo: PRIVATE In Kaja’s case, the bites had serious consequences. The three-year-old received four bites. That means a lot of poison for a small body. – She stayed in the hospital’s intensive care unit for seven days, with full round-the-clock monitoring. Altogether we spent ten days in the hospital, says Forengen. Kaja is completely healthy again now after the viper bite she got this summer. Photo: PRIVATE Kaja is not the only one who has been unlucky this summer. So far this year, the Poison Information Center at the Institute of Public Health has received 578 inquiries about viper bites. Only in the record year 2021 did the hotline receive more inquiries about vipers. – The number is not the same as the real number of bites in Norway, but also includes assessment of possible bites, but our inquiry statistics still give a good indication, says Barbro Johanne Spillum. She is a senior adviser for the Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s department for acute poisonings. These people should see a doctor. Every year, serious poisonings occur as a result of viper bites, but most people who are bitten need little treatment. Nevertheless, all children under the age of twelve should see a doctor after being bitten. The same applies to adults in risk groups. – Those in the risk group must be observed by health personnel after being bitten. This applies to children and the elderly, but also pregnant women and people with reduced general health, says Spillum. Adults outside the risk group who experience only a minimal reaction can consider assessing the situation before calling a doctor. Large amounts of poison can cause serious poisoning in anyone, but the degree of severity will vary. Weight, state of health, age and where on the body you are bitten can have an effect, according to Helse-Norge. The symptoms will appear within one to two hours. The picture shows Kaja’s foot 45 minutes after the viper bite. Photo: PRIVATE – If it is a question of a large amount of poison, you will have a serious reaction quite early on. You will often experience dizziness and a feeling of sickness. You can also get vomiting. Eventually, you will also see swelling and discoloration of the skin around the bite site. Helse-Norge’s first aid tips for viper bites Call 113 for symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness, fainting, breathing problems or swelling that develops quickly. In other cases, if necessary, contact the Poison Information Center for advice on further follow-up and treatment. Leave the bite site alone (do not squeeze, cut or suck on the bite) Keep the bitten body part still and if possible in a high position, also during possible transport to the emergency room/hospital Keep as still as possible, children should be carried for transport if possible . If you are bitten when you are far from civilization (in the mountains, in the forest, on an island or similar), you should get to more central areas. Move as calmly as possible, and ask for assistance if you need it. When swelling begins, mark the outer edge of the swelling with a pen and note the time, so that it is easier to follow the development Tetanus vaccine or a booster dose of this is also applicable for people who can look after you at home (talk to the doctor/emergency room). It is an advantage to get the vaccine within 12 hours of a viper bite. You can find more information about viper bites on Helse-Norge’s pages. Will warn others Fortunately Kaja was fine. She is now home from the hospital and in good shape. Her parents now want to warn others. Mirjam Salvesen Forengen wants to warn others after her daughter was bitten by a viper. Photo: PRIVATE – We didn’t know much ourselves and we heard from others that they didn’t know much about what to do in such a situation either. We also didn’t know it could be so serious, that’s why we chose to go ahead with this, says mum Mirjam. She wants parents of young children and others who work with children to know how to proceed if something like this happens. In addition, she believes it is important to talk to the children: – It is probably a good idea to talk to the children about the existence of vipers, and that they need to be careful. You can’t stop using nature, but it’s probably a good idea to talk a little about it. The viper season is not over and the fact that many people make use of nature are the most important factors for the increased number of bites, according to Barbro Johanne Spillum from the Institute of Public Health. The viper can bite if it feels threatened. Photo: Rune Fredriksen / news Dag Dolmen is a researcher in herpetology at NTNU. He also believes that the weather can have something to do with the number of bites. – You usually don’t see the viper on a nice summer day with strong sun. But after rain or a cold night, it lays itself down in the sun. The fact that summer is over does not mean that viper season is over. – When autumn comes, and it gets a little colder at night, it will come out. Right now is the time for berry picking. The viper probably lies outside, especially in the morning and evening, and when the weather is not too hot. Watch out for the viper when you’re out berry picking. Photo: Nina Didriksen / news
ttn-69
Kaja (3) became seriously ill after a viper bite – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
