Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
General product and regulatory information only, not medical advice. This page does not give treatment guidance; for a bite or sting, contact a health professional or poison control. It is for people comparing what is sold as a snake bite kit or bee sting kit: what the kit is made of and how the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies it.
Snake bite kit: what the term means
In US federal regulation, a suction snakebite kit is “a device consisting of a knife, suction device, and tourniquet used for first-aid treatment of snakebites by removing venom from the wound” (21 CFR 880.5740(a), checked 2026-10-30). It is a Class I device under general controls and is exempt from premarket notification (510(k)), subject to the limitations in 21 CFR 880.9 (21 CFR 880.5740(b)).
Retail kits are often built differently from that definition. Many are sold as a hand-held venom pump (an “extractor”) with a rubber tourniquet and antiseptic pads, with no knife. Both versions are covered below.
Checklist table: what is in a snake bite kit
| Component | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Knife | Part of the federal definition in 21 CFR 880.5740(a); typically absent from retail extractor kits |
| Suction device (extractor pump or suction cups) | Part of the federal definition; a venom pump extractor is typical in retail kits |
| Tourniquet (a rubber one is typical in retail kits) | Part of the federal definition |
| Antiseptic pads (typical: povidone iodine) | Typical in retail extractor kits, not in the federal definition; see antiseptic for wound care and alcohol swabs |
One retail listing for an extractor-style kit lists a rubber tourniquet, one venom pump extractor and two povidone iodine pads (manufacturer-retailer listing, checked 2026-10-30). That is an example of what “typical” looks like, not a standard.
What FDA says: product codes KYP and PWX
Snake bite suction kit (KYP)
In FDA’s device classification database (openFDA, data last updated 2026-10-19, checked 2026-10-30), product code KYP is “Snake Bite Suction Kit”: Class 1, regulation 880.5740, review panel General Hospital. For how to look up codes like these yourself, see the FDA product classification database guide.
Bee sting kit (PWX)
A bee sting kit is classified under product code PWX, “Insect Sting Emergency Kit”: Class 1, under the same regulation, 880.5740. The classification entries for KYP and PWX both say the code was established under FDA’s May 20, 1997 guidance “Convenience Kits Interim Regulatory Guidance”, and that this type of convenience kit is under enforcement discretion and does not require a 510(k) if it meets all the criteria in that guidance.
Snake bite suction kit versus extractor kit
The regulation names three parts: knife, suction device and tourniquet. A retail kit with a pump and a tourniquet but no knife differs from that definition in its parts list. Which category a specific retail kit falls into is a question for its manufacturer’s labeling and FDA, not something this guide can settle.
For related supply guides, see splint kits, triangular bandages and the youth sports team medical kit checklist. General first-aid supplies are also listed in the emergency and trauma response category.
FAQ
What is a bee sting kit?
FDA classifies it as an “Insect Sting Emergency Kit” (product code PWX), Class 1, under 21 CFR 880.5740, the same regulation as the suction snakebite kit.
What is a snake bite suction kit?
A device consisting of a knife, suction device and tourniquet, per 21 CFR 880.5740(a). FDA lists it as product code KYP, Class 1, exempt from 510(k) premarket notification.
What is usually in a retail snake bite kit?
Typically a venom pump extractor, a rubber tourniquet and antiseptic pads, according to one retail listing; the federal definition instead names a knife, suction device and tourniquet.
Does FDA need to clear a snake bite kit?
Under 21 CFR 880.5740(b) the device is Class I and exempt from 510(k) premarket notification, subject to the limitations in 21 CFR 880.9.
Sources
- 21 CFR 880.5740, Suction snakebite kit (e-CFR text via Cornell LII), checked 2026-10-30.
- openFDA device classification, product codes KYP and PWX, dataset updated 2026-10-19, checked 2026-10-30.
- Retail listing, snake bite kit with venom pump (example of a typical extractor kit), checked 2026-10-30.
