Health
Are you prepared for potential dangers of venomous creatures? R
ecent research has shown that we are unprepared for the dangers that some of Australia’s creepy crawlies and venomous creatures pose. Results of a new surveyi commissioned by Seqirus revealed nearly half (48%) of Australians are unsure or not confident when it comes to first aid for venomous bites and stings.
The survey of 1,049 people looked at how Australians prepare for the potential dangers of enjoying the sunny weather outdoors and found that only 11 per cent agreed refreshing their knowledge on first aid for bites and stings from venomous creatures is a top priority ahead of summer, behind activities such as weight loss programs, diets and planning a holiday. Incidences with venomous creatures including snakes, spiders and marine animals were reported to cause 41,521 hospitalisations in Australia from 2001-2013.ii Despite these statistics and Australia’s fearsome reputation as the home to many deadly venomous creatures many Australians could be unprepared. A free smartphone app, Australian Bites & Stings: First Aid Guide to Australian Venomous Creatures has been developed and includes a new function that provides users with information on which venomous creatures are most relevant to their geo- location. “Australia is native to some of earth’s most venomous creatures and we encourage all Australians to be equipped with up-to-date first aid knowledge for venomous creatures, especially when people are likely to head to the beach, the bush or even out in the back 84
Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2018
yard with family and friends. The Australian Bites and Stings App is an easy-to-use resource and should be an essential for everyone,” said Associate Professor Bill Nimorakiotakis, Epworth Richmond Emergency Department. Why Australians need to consider taking action: 18-29 year olds are three times more likely to prioritise buying a new season wardrobe (34%) and body tone (35%) than getting clued up on how to deal with deadly bites and stings (11%) - More than half of parents with children under 18 years old (52%) are either unsure or not confident on how to treat venomous creature bites or stings -Millennial Australians are the least likely to know how to deal with encounters with venomous creatures, with only 45% confirming they would know what to do -Rural Western Australia is the least confident region for dealing with bites and stings from venomous creatures with nearly two thirds (62%) confirming they wouldn’t know what to do or are unsure - Even in South Australia, the most confident region, 37% of inhabitants remain unsure or notconfident on how to deal with venomous bites or stings. Associate Professor Julian White, Head of Toxinology at the Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital said: “The small proportion of people who would know what to do in an emergency is alarming. Knowledge of how to apply first aid to venomous bites and stings is so important, and could potentially save a life. The bites and stings app has been developed so that when Australians