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well here is that info i WAS trying to show in the PDF......explains polyvalent antivenom well and i found it interesting

Polyvalent Snake Antivenom (Australia - Papua New Guinea)

WHAT IS POLYVALENT SNAKE
ANTIVENOM?

Polyvalent Snake Antivenom (Australia - Papua
New Guinea) is an injection designed to help
neutralise the effect of the poison (venom) of
most snakes that are encountered in Australia
and in Papua New Guinea. The antivenom is
produced by immunising horses against the
venoms of the king brown snake, taipan, death
adder, tiger snake and brown snake and then
collecting that part of the horse’s blood which
neutralises the poisons of these snakes. The
antivenom for all these snakes is purified and
made into an injection for people who may
need it after being bitten by a poisonous snake.
The polyvalent antivenom is also effective if you
are bitten by other snakes such as the
copperhead or black snake.

WHEN IS POLYVALENT SNAKE
ANTIVENOM USED?
Polyvalent Snake Antivenom is given to those
people who become ill after being bitten by an
unidentified snake, except in Victoria and
Tasmania. If the type of snake is known, it is
much better to use the appropriate antivenom
for that snake; the size of the injection will be
smaller and less likely to cause side effects.
Polyvalent Snake Antivenom may also be used
when the appropriate antivenom for the
identified snake is unavailable.
Not every one who is bitten needs to have the
antivenom as some people have only very mild
effects from the bite or none at all. However,
some people can become extremely ill after
being bitten and in these people it is essential
to use an appropriate amount of antivenom to
counteract the effects of the poison. Several
people die in Australia each year from
inadequately treated snake bite.

WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE THE
ANTIVENOM?
As Polyvalent Snake Antivenom consists of
antivenom to several of the local snakes it is a
very large injection. It should not be used if the
type of snake which caused the bite is known,
as the specific antivenom for that snake will be
just as effective, and less likely to cause side
effects than the large volume Polyvalent Snake
Antivenom injections.
As there are sometimes unpleasant and
dangerous reactions to the antivenom (see
SIDE EFFECTS OF POLYVALENT SNAKE
ANTIVENOM), it should not be given to people
who have no effects from the bite. However as
Polyvalent Snake Antivenom can be an
emergency life-saving product, it should not be
withheld from anyone who needs it.

BEFORE YOU HAVE POLYVALENT
SNAKE ANTIVENOM
Before you have the injection, you should tell
your doctor if:
• you are an asthmatic
• you suffer from hayfever
• you suffer from any other allergies
• you have ever received injections
containing horse serum (snake bite and
other antivenoms)
• you had an anti-tetanus injection before
1974
• you are suffering from any other illness
• you are taking any medicines and what they
are
• you are pregnant
• you are breast feeding.
When medicines are produced in animals
and injected into you, it is always possible
that viruses or other substances could be
present in the medicine and cause an
illness. These could be viruses or other
infectious agents which may not yet have
been discovered. In the past, there have
been no reports of this ever having
2
happened with this product.

SIDE EFFECTS OF POLYVALENT
SNAKE ANTIVENOM
As with any medicine, some side effects may
occur.
As the injection is made from horse serum, side
effects occur most commonly in those who
have allergies, particularly if they have ever had
injections before which were also prepared
from horses. Allergic reactions such as rashes,
low blood pressure, wheezing and palpitations
occur commonly. Headaches and fever are
also common. Less commonly, localised
swelling, muscle and joint pains, abdominal
pain, vomiting, chest pain and blue
discolouration of the skin can occur. The
allergic reactions can be very severe and can
cause death, but allergic complications can be
treated by your doctor.
An illness consisting of a rash, swollen glands,
joint pains and fever may occur about a week
after the injection.
Always tell your doctor if you have any
unpleasant effects after receiving Polyvalent
Snake Antivenom.

THE DOSE OF POLYVALENT SNAKE
ANTIVENOM
The dose for both adults and children is one
vial (40,000 units) which is considerably diluted
and given slowly as a drip into a vein. The
dose can be repeated as necessary. Your
doctor will take precautions to counteract any
allergic reactions if they should happen.

OVERDOSE
There is no information on overdose.

WHAT DOES POLYVALENT SNAKE
ANTIVENOM CONTAIN?
Polyvalent Snake Antivenom contains:
1,000 units Brown snake antivenom
3,000 units Tiger snake antivenom
6,000 units Death adder antivenom
12,000 units Taipan antivenom
18,000 units King brown snake antivenom
in about 50 mL of liquid. Each injection also
contains phenol as a preservative, sodium
chloride and substances found in horse blood.
The Australian Registration Number is AUST R
74899.

HOW TO STORE POLYVALENT SNAKE
ANTIVENOM
Polyvalent Snake Antivenom should be
protected from light and stored at 2-8OC (in the
refrigerator). It must not be frozen. It should
not be used after the expiry date on the
package.

WHERE CAN I GET MORE
INFORMATION?
You can get more information from your doctor
or pharmacist.