Tucson, Ariz. • As soon as a rattlesnake sinks its fangs into a victim, the venom starts traveling through the bloodstream. Within seconds, people can experience pain, swelling, bleeding and trouble breathing.
It's a race against time to get to a hospital, the only place that readily offers anti-venom. The longer it takes to get treatment, the higher the odds of long-term injury or death.
One University of Arizona doctor hopes to buy people more time before they get to the hospital.
Professor Vance Nielsen, the vice chairman for research in the Department of Anesthesiology at the College of Medicine — Tucson, said his research could help stall the spread of rattlesnake venom through the body.