Anxiety (fear of death) plays an important role following accidents with venomous animals and has an additional negative influence on the clinical course after an accident.

Loss of consciousness after an accident with a venomous animal can have many causes. It is important to place the patient in a stable lateral position to avoid aspiration. If peripheral circulatory failure is present, the shock position may improve the patient's condition. If resuscitation is necessary, it is only in exceptional cases that lay people will be sufficiently well trained to be able to intervene.

The compression-immobilisation method was developed in Australia (Sutherland et al. 1979, Sutherland et al. 1981a).

Australian elapid bites are characterised by an absence of or only negligible local effects, in particular swelling and necrosis. Thus there is generally no risk of a build-up of arterial occlusion pressure under a compression bandage. Members of the Pseudechis group represent an exception to this rule. Pseudechis australis bites in particular can cause extensive swelling.

This information makes it possible to assess the probability of reaching medical facilities in time and, barring other circumstances (see above), justifies the use of a tourniquet for elapid bites.