The Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital emergency room has treated seven rattlesnake bite patients already this year. That’s significantly more than usual.

“We’ve never had rattlesnake bites so early in the year, and we’ve never had so many,” said Denise McDonald, nursing director for Cottage Health emergency and trauma services.

All seven patients showed up in the last seven weeks, in late March and April, she said.

Rattlesnake bite patients included two gardeners and three Montecito-area hikers, McDonald said.

“We know it’s only going to get warmer, so we expect even more going forward.”

Last year, Cottage Health saw two rattlesnake bite patients in June, and that was it.

The South Coast is a very active community and popular hiking destination, but it’s interesting that North County hospitals haven’t reported any bites yet this year, McDonald noted.

What to Do If A Rattlesnake Bites You

If you’re bitten, get to an emergency room as fast as possible, McDonald said.

“Try to stay as calm as you can – I know that sounds tremendously challenging,” she said.

Rattlesnake bite patients get admitted to the hospital so staff can administer antivenom and control the swelling and pain, she said.

“The quicker we get you, the better the outcome,” she said.

“If you’re in the backcountry, you probably want to call 9-1-1 and they’ll airlift you out,” she added.

“We don’t want you to jog out,” she said, adding that people should try to keep their heart rates down.

Every emergency room in Santa Barbara County “has plenty of CroFab” antivenom and staff are trained to use it, she said.

Bite victims don’t need to call ahead to emergency rooms, McDonald said, and they definitely don’t need to bring in the snake that bit them.

“We don’t need to see the snake; don’t try to catch the snake,” she said.

McDonald has more suggestions on what not to do: “Do not put a tourniquet on it; do not put ice on it; do not try to suck the venom out of it,” she said. “Those are all old wives’ tales.”

The idea that baby rattlesnakes cannot control the amount of venom they release, and can be more dangerous, is another myth, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The amount of antivenom administered depends on the amount of venom released by the snake, McDonald said.

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital’s ER has also seen one non-rattlesnake bite this year – “I think he panicked,” she said.

Rattlesnake Safety Tips

Most rattlesnake bites happen between April and October because that’s when snakes and people are the most active outdoors, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The snakes are most active at dawn, dusk and at night in the spring and summer to avoid overheating, CDFW says.

Rattlesnakes might give that telltale rattle to warn you they’re close, but startled snakes may not rattle before striking and biting.

Here are more tips on rattlesnake safety and bite prevention from CDFW:

• Stay alert when outdoors.
• Wear sturdy boots and loose-fitting long pants. DO NOT wear sandals or flip-flops in brushy areas.
• Stay on well-used trails. Avoid tall grass, weeds, and heavy underbrush.
• Check rocks, stumps or logs before sitting down.
• Shake out sleeping bag and tent before use.
• Let others know where you are going, when you plan to return, and carry a cell phone. Hike with a companion when possible.
• DO NOT grab “sticks” in water. Rattlesnakes can swim.
• DO NOT let dogs off leash. Dogs are at increased risk when sniffing the ground near brushy areas.
• DO NOT try to touch or handle a snake, dead or alive. Dead rattlers may still inject venom shortly after death.

Heavy winter rains led to a lot of growth in grass and other plants that might make it harder to see snakes, according to Ray Ford, a Noozhawk outdoors writer and avid hiker.

“Snakes are out, and (people) need to be a little bit more vigilant while they are out walking or climbing around or having the kind of fun experiences that people normally have in the springtime when everything is so beautiful and the flowers are out and everything.”

People often get bitten in the legs and hands, and it’s important to look where you’re stepping or grabbing, Ford said.

“Anytime you’re in rocky areas or if you’re stepping over, say, a downed log, always look over and around before you put your hands or feet in places you can’t see,” he said.

There are local services for removing and relocating rattlesnakes from yards, including Central Coast Snake Services, and rattlesnake-aversion trainings for dogs.