Emergency Medicine
Promising New Antivenom Therapy Developed For Snake Bite

2001 MAR 7 - (NewsRx.com) -- Emergency physicians spearheaded the development of a new antivenom for treating rattlesnake and moccasin snakebites that promises to be safer than its predecessor and can be infused within minutes.

According to an article in the February 2001 Annals of Emergency Medicine, the therapy, therapy used to treat snake venom poisoning during the last four decades: Antivenin (Crotalidae) Polyvalent.

"In the past, there was only one antivenom on the market for these types of snakebites, and physicians did not like to use it because it's often associated with a high rate of adverse reactions like serum sickness, anaphylaxis, and even death," said Richard C. Dart, MD, PhD, of the Rocky Mountain Poison Control Center in Denver, Colorado. "This new antivenom made from sheep serum is highly purified and is expected to reduce adverse reactions. We believe emergency physicians will breathe a sigh of relief when they learn of the safety record and efficacy of this new antivenom therapy."

According to experts, the new snakebite antivenom has arrived just in time as the population grows and people begin encroaching more and more on snake habitats. Currently, about 8,000 people a year receive venomous bites in the United States, and about six victims die.

This article was prepared by Immunotherapy Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2001, Immunotherapy Weekly via NewsRx.com.

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