Banner Air deploys antivenom helicopter teams: ‘Time is tissue’

The Brief

  • Banner Air provides a behind-the-scenes look at emergency operations for rattlesnake bite victims located far from medical facilities.
  • The non-profit emergency medical service operates five helicopter teams spanning from Payson to Casa Grande to ensure rapid responses.
  • The agency is the first and only emergency medical services provider in the nation to carry and administer the antivenom Antivip in flight.

QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. A behind-the-scenes look reveals what happens if a person gets bitten by a rattlesnake on a trail or far from a hospital, as Banner Air demonstrates why every second counts.

Timeline:

They are a drill of an elite team that is ready to go anywhere to save a life. “We’ve got a 35-year-old male who has been bitten by a rattlesnake,” a team member announced during the drill. “Make sure we have bilateral gauge and bilateral IVs and antivip ready. We’ll get antivip ready and go to university.”

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