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At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Monospecific antivenin therapy in Russell's viper bite.

Venom antigenemia was detected in 24 out of 30 Russell's viper bites. Those who suffered clinical bleeding (N = 14) had higher venom antigenemia than those who did not. The mean value of the amount of monospecific antivenin correcting blood incoagulability was 165 +/- 59.3 ml. Consequently, the recommended treatment is 60 ml of antivenin being administered intravenously at 6-hour intervals until blood coagulability is restored. There were no serious complications after antivenin administration. Renal complication (3 cases) was the major problem following this snake bite. One patient with clinical diagnosis of central nervous system bleeding died on admission.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Conservative treatment of copperhead snakebites without antivenin.

Polyvalent antivenin remains the most recommended treatment of crotalid envenomation, including copperhead snakebites. Because of the significant morbidity associated with antivenin therapy, some have proposed conservative therapy for less serious envenomations. Few if any studies have separated the treatment of the less serious copperhead bite from the more serious bite of a rattlesnake or a water moccasin. Fifty-five patients, including 12 children, with copperhead bites were treated over a 12-year period. All 55 patients were successfully treated conservatively without antivenin. Conservative treatment resulted in no deaths, limb loss, or residual disability. The mean hospital stay was 2.15 days compared with 3.9 days in patients with systemic symptoms. These data support a conservative approach to most copperhead envenomations and suggest that the treatment for copperhead bites should be segregated from the more serious rattlesnake and water moccasin snakebites.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Improvement of Malayan cobra (Naja naja sputatrix) antivenin.

A low molecular weight toxic fraction was isolated from venom of the Malayan cobra (Naja naja sputatrix) by Sephadex G-50 gel filtration chromatography. The fraction accounted for almost 100% of the venom lethality. Antisera were prepared by immunizing rabbits with the low molecular weight toxic fraction, the glutaraldehyde-treated low molecular weight toxic fraction and the glutaraldehyde-treated, sea snake neurotoxin-enriched low molecular weight toxic fraction, respectively. Only the serum of rabbits immunized with the glutaraldehyde-treated, neurotoxin-enriched fraction gave effective protection against high doses of Malayan cobra venom. This antiserum is thus a potent Malayan cobra antivenin. One milliliter of this antiserum was able to neutralize 1.5 mg of Malayan cobra venom. It is thus 4-8 times more potent than the commercially available Malayan cobra antivenins produced by immunizing horses with whole Malayan cobra venom.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Ability of polyvalent (Crotalidae) antivenin to neutralize myonecrosis, hemorrhage and lethality induced by timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus horridus) venom.

The local and lethal effects of crude Crotalus horridus horridus venom were quantitated and the ability of polyvalent (Crotalidae) antivenin to neutralize these effects was studied. A light microscopy assay was used to measure myonecrosis, a new method based on the amount of hemoglobin present in the injected muscle was used to measure hemorrhage and the LD50 was used as a measure of lethality. Results indicate that polyvalent (Crotalidae) antivenin significantly neutralized myonecrosis in mice at venom doses of 3.0 and 6.0 micrograms/g, hemorrhage at doses of venom up to 12.0 micrograms/g, and lethality at a dose equivalent to 2.5 times the LD50.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Heat and motion stability of polyvalent Crotalidae antivenin, ovine Fab.

This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that a Fab-based crotalid antivenin (FabAV) in commercially packaged vials will remain effective under more extreme heat and motion conditions than would be expected in field settings. Vials containing FabAV were subjected to heat or motion. The effect of heat or motion on the ED50 of FabAV was determined using a mouse model of crotalid snake envenomation. The ED50 for the heat stability groups (expressed as a ratio of mg antivenin to mg venom) were as follows: 4 degrees C x 60 days (control) = 26.5, 70 degrees C x 60 days = 66.3, 70 degrees C x 30 days = 52.4, 50 degrees C x 60 days = 25.8, 50 degrees C x 30 days = 34.0. The ED50 for the two motion stability groups were similar: 4 degrees C x 60 days = 40.3 and 70 degrees C x 60 days = 48.3. These results indicate that FabAV is heat stable at 50 degrees C for 60 days, but had less potency when heated to 70 degrees C for 30 days. FabAV appears less potent after agitation, but remains effective in the mouse model. We conclude that FabAV can be safely stored for at least 60 days without refrigeration under most field conditions where snake envenomation may occur.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Efficacy of Crotalidae polyvalent antivenin for the treatment of hognosed viper (Porthidium nasutum) envenomation.

Envenomation from pit vipers native to North America can be treated successfully with either of the 2 commercially available antivenoms licensed in the United States. However, envenomations from imported snakes held in zoos or private collections often pose unique challenges to management because of the lack of specific antivenom and the unclear efficacy of the available licensed products. We report the case of a 37-year-old man who was envenomated on his left hand by his pet hognosed viper (Porthidium nasutum ). He had swelling at the wound site that progressively worsened over 3 to 4 hours. His symptom progression included the structural motor impairment of his fingers and a sensory deficit. Treatment with 8 vials of Antivenin (Crotalidae) polyvalent was associated with a halt of extremity swelling and restoration of neurologic and motor function of his hand. Limited experimental evidence provides support for antigenic cross-reactivity between Antivenin (Crotalidae) polyvalent and P nasutum venom.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Snake antivenin administration in a patient allergic to horse serum.

We have described a case in which a potent epinephrine drip was useful in the management of a patient who needed antivenin and was allergic to horse serum. With 50 ml of 1:10,000 epinephrine in 500 ml of 5% dextrose in water, repeated anaphylactoid reactions were controlled. We believe that such a solution would be helpful in other patients having severe anaphylactic reactions to antivenin.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

North American coral snake antivenin for the neutralization of non-native elapid venoms in a murine model.

OBJECTIVES: North American coral snake antivenin (CSAV; Wyeth Antivenin [Micrurus fulvius], equine origin) is approved for the treatment of coral snake envenomations in the United States. The coral snake is the only elapid that is native to North America, but envenomations from non-native elapids are occurring more commonly in this country. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of CSAV in the neutralization of two exotic elapid envenomations: Naja naja (Indian cobra) and Dendroaspis polylepsis (black mamba). METHODS: A randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled murine model of intraperitoneal venom injection was employed. Venom potency was determined in preliminary dosing studies. Study animals then were divided into five groups: 1) N. naja venom + CSAV, 2) N. naja venom + 0.9% normal saline (NS), 3) D. polylepsis venom + CSAV, 4) D. polylepsis venom + NS, and 5) CSAV + NS. The venom dose was chosen to be twice the estimated LD50. The amount of CSAV injected was ten times the amount necessary for neutralization of a 2 x LD50 dose of M. f. fulvius venom in a murine model. Statistical analysis included Fisher's exact and log-rank testing to compare survival rates and times. RESULTS: Preliminary studies estimated the venom LD50 to be 2.58 mg/kg and 0.45 mg/kg, respectively, for the N. naja and D. polylepsis. A significant difference was shown in comparison of survival times between CSAV-venom groups and normal saline-venom groups despite all animals in both treatment and control arms dying. Animals receiving CSAV and N. naja venom survived (mean +/- SD) 24.4 +/- 3.0 minutes, versus 17.8 +/- 1.3 minutes in the control group (p < 0.001), whereas those receiving CSAV and D. polylepsis venom survived 203.8 +/- 37.0 minutes versus 130.0 +/- 42.6 minutes in the control group (p < 0.001). All animals in the CSAV + NS group survived to the conclusion of the study. CONCLUSIONS: When premixed with venom, CSAV increased survival time in a murine model of intraperitoneal N. naja and D. polylepsis venom injection. The clinical implications of this are unclear, given unchanged mortality rates.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Use of antivenin to treat priapism after a black widow spider bite.

Black widow spider envenomation (BWSE) is commonly associated with severe abdominal pain, muscle cramping, and hypertension. Treatment is primarily symptomatic with the use of opiates and benzodiazepines. Priapism is a complication of BWSE that has only rarely been reported. We describe a 17-month-old male who developed priapism after known BWSE. His priapism did not respond to opiates or benzodiazepines, and he was treated with black widow spider antivenin. Complete detumescence followed within several hours. The patient required no additional opiates for pain and was discharged from the hospital the following day. The patient's rapid improvement after antivenin suggests its efficacy in treating BWSE-associated priapism.

Analgesics, Opioid↗
PubMed1985

Preparation of a new antivenin by affinity chromatography.

Polyacrylamide gel affinity chromatography was employed to isolate and purify antibodies to the antigens of the venoms of four rattlesnakes. The antivenins were studied for their neutralizing properties on a number of pharmacologic preparations. It was found that the purified antibodies (IgG) were more efficacious than the commercially prepared antivenin in neutralizing the lethal, cytolytic, hemorrhagic, platelet aggregating, and other deleterious effects of the venoms. In addition, the purified antibodies gave no evidence of producing anaphylaxis or anaphylactoid reactions in animals sensitized to horse serum. The proposed technique is also more simple than current production methods, is time-saving, and less expensive.

Animals↗
PubMed1958

Reference toxins for antivenin standardization.

Potency determinations in mice of venom samples from snakes of the species Bothrops jararaca, which had been caught in an area of less than 10 000 km(2), gave the following principal results:(1) Various methods of drying-i.e., closed and continuous vacuum-drying at 5 degrees and 37 degrees C and freeze-drying (lyophilization)-had no different effect on the potency of venoms.(2) Venom samples which display no differences in the final results of intravenous assay may be distinguishable if the observation time is limited to one or two hours.(3) Venom samples obtained from snakes caught no more than about 50 km apart may be of different potencies.(4) Different titres may be obtained for an antivenin, if different samples of venom from the same snake species are employed as reference preparations in the assay.From physiological experiments on dogs and rabbits, in conjunction with observations made in tests on mice, it is evident that B. jararaca venom causes death in circulatory collapse through a mechanism which is as yet unknown. Two physiologically (and probably immunologically) distinct hypotensory factors seem to be present in this venom.The conclusions drawn from the investigation is that consistent and reproducible reference preparations of snake venoms for antivenin assay can probably be obtained only from snakes that are bred and kept in captivity under constant environmental conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Purification of Bungarus multicinctus antivenin by affinity chromatography.

Bungarus multicinctus horse antivenin was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 column, and affinity chromatography. The specific neutralizing capacity of the antibody preparations showed 2.21-fold, 3.12-fold, and 29.6-fold higher than that of the crude antivenin, respectively.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

The treatment of crotalid envenomation without antivenin.

Eighty-one patients were treated for crotalid envenomation over the past 12 years at the Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston. Bites were inflicted by copperheads (56%), water moccasins (15%), and rattlesnakes (12%). In 17% of patients the species of snake was not identified. Using a grading scale of one to four from minimal to severe envenomation, 54% were grade I, 29% grade II, 7% grade III, 6% grade IV, and 4% were not graded because the patients were seen more than 12 hours after envenomation and not evaluated by other physicians. Five patients received one dose (10 cc) of crotalid antivenin each before transfer to our Emergency Center. All patients were treated with intravenous fluids, antibiotics, tetanus prophylaxis, immobilization of the injured part, and elevation of the extremity to the level of the heart. No patients received antivenin or excisional therapy at this institution and one minor digital fasciotomy was performed. There were no deaths or amputations in this series. Eight patients developed superficial necrosis of the skin but only one required a skin graft. Three patients developed hematologic abnormalities and were treated with either platelet transfusions or fresh-frozen plasma. One patient required dopamine for hypotension refractory to fluid resuscitation. This experience supports a conservative approach to venomous snakebites and raises the question about the need to utilize traditional therapy for snakebites caused by species seen in our locality.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

[Neutralization of local effects of Bothrops asper venom by polyvalent antivenin].

Neutralization of lethality, myonecrosis, hemorrhage and edema induced by Bothrops asper venom in mice was studied using the polyvalent antivenom produced in the Instituto Clodomiro Picado. The neutralizing effect (ED50) on each of these toxic activities varied; the neutralization of lethal and hemorrhagic effects being more effective than the neutralization of myonecrosis and edema. With independent inoculation of venom and antivenom, antivenom was not effective in neutralizing edema-forming activity. The myonecrotic effect was only partially neutralized when serum was given i.v. immediately after envenomation; however, antivenin effectively neutralized the hemorrhagic activity. The ineffectiveness of antivenom in neutralizing edema and myonecrosis could be partially explained by the rapid development of these effects. Hence, the time interval between envenomation and antivenom administration and the route of serum administration both play an important role in the neutralization of local effects.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Kenyan medicinal plants used as antivenin: a comparison of plant usage.

The success of snake bite healers is vaguely understood in Kenya, partly due to their unknown materia medica and occult-mystical nature of their practice. A comparison is made of plants used in snake bite treatments by two culturally distinct African groups (the Kamba and Luo). Thirty two plants used for snakebite treatment are documented. The majority of the antidotes are prepared from freshly collected plant material - frequently leaves. Though knowledge of snake bite conditions etiological perceptions of the ethnic groups is similar, field ethnobotanical data suggests that plant species used by the two ethnic groups are independently derived. Antivenin medicinal plants effectively illustrate the cultural context of medicine. Randomness or the use of a variety of species in different families appears to be a feature of traditional snake bite treatments. A high degree of informant consensus for the species was observed. The study indicates rural Kenya inhabitants rely on medicinal plants for healthcare.

Adult↗