The Extractor
Several years ago I was rafting through an isolated gorge that separates Mexico and Guatemala...at least several days away from the nearest medical facilities. We carried The Extractor for snake bites. A friend was bitten by a flying bug. Her arm immediately began to swell up. She was in intense, burning pain. We attached the extractor over the bite, with its largest cup...Several drops of foul brown liquid were drawn from her arm. Almost immediately her pain dissipated. I have used this tool many times since then on simple bee stings on my children -- their pain leaves almost immediately. I have never seen it used on a snake bite but it appears that it would work great. It is one of the best tools I have ever used. I try to keep one around all the time.
-- Maxwell Kennedy
The Extractor
$20
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by Sawyer
Favorite (15)
DJ
The Sawyer Extractor is not recommended by professional wilderness medicine organizations for treatment of snake bite for several reasons, including:
1) Thus far, there are no independent clinical tests proving that the device is an effective treatment for snake or insect bites or stings, as advertised.
2) Since most snakes inject venom by means of a puncture wound, the surrounding tissue will necessarily close the wound as soon as the fang is withdrawn. To whatever extent any venom could be drawn toward the device, it would merely have the effect of concentrating the venom in the tissue immediately around the wound--thus increasing the potential for necrosis.
3) For suction to be effective, air must be allowed to pass through. This would not be possible in a puncture wound unless it passed completely through the flesh and stayed open under suction. If you doubt this fact, try sucking air through a straw with your finger covering the other end.
4) Playing around with such clinically untested devices wastes precious time which should be used to get to a safe area, protect the airway in the event of allergic reaction (e.g., prescribed epinephrine), immobilize and support the extremity, and immediately evacuate to definitive medical care equipped to treat snakebite and infection with antivenom and/or intravenous antibiotics.
In addition to these professional medical contraindications, I challenge the case as presented: What "flying bug" produces "several drops of foul brown liquid" which it can inject? The only stinging insects I know of produce only microscopic amounts of venom. More likely, what you saw was a bit of blood, which would be amazing to see coming from an insect bite.
If you still choose to spend your money and carry this extra item, go ahead and try it on a mosquito bite or an insect sting, assuming there is no allergic reaction, but don't mess around with snake bites or allergic reactions--there is no evidence that it can help. I wish it could, but sorry, that is highly unlikely. Finally, do not try to enlarge the wound to remove venom--this only increases the risk of infection.
stan
hey, have *extensive* experience with extractor and can say for insect bites it works 1000%
Could be many reasons that it works, but for sure does prevent allergenic reaction from bites if applied quickly.