Antivenom

[olivehydra]

Hello folks,
Just a question which I'm sure maybe common knowledge to some, but I was wondering about antivenom and its distribution in our hospital system. Is it standard practice for all hospitals to stock various species specific antivenoms. Or do they rely on polyvalents? I dont keep vens so I have dont have a clue. Do people who keep vens check with their local hospitals as to availability? I believe the shelf life of antivenom is quite short, is this the case? What about exotic vens?
Thanks in advance

 

[peterescue]

Off the top of my head its good for three years. Hospitals dont carry exotic antivenom but institutions with ven exotics carry it. Its now generally kept in hospitals but a bite around xmas before last showed that there were major problems with most hospitals either out of stock or with out of date stock.

 

[soulweaver]

you find in a lot of cases they stock polyvalents and tiger snake anti-venom..........it seems tiger snake anti-venom is good for a lot of snake species, or so i am told. The rest depends, a hospital in victoria isn't going to always stock taipan as one its not native, and two not everyone keeps them in captivity.....in which case they use polyvalent............anyway this is what i was told during the venomous snake handling course, hope it helps.

 

[yommy]

if you keep elapids it's a good idea especially in a small town to let the local hospital know what you have should the need arise and they'll let you know their procedures. Thats one of the reasons in the territory your not allowed now to import any prohibited species (not naturally occur here) that require tiger snake antivenom as it's not stocked by hospitals those that have any species prior to this change, needing that type of antivenom have to rely on the polyvalent. Though each state and territory may be different.

 

[olivehydra]

Thanks guys. Soulweaver, was it Simon's ven handling course that you did? If so, how was it?

 

[ScottBec]

A friend , the reptile keeper at the zoo here, was bitten by his Death Adder about 9 months ago and the hospital said they would prefer not to use the antivenom, it's only worth using about 4 times in any one human (and most people have a bigger reaction to the horse blood)

Any way he spent 4 days in ICU and was released - - now he's a really cheeap drunk and can get the shakes up every now and again (the venom never leaves a humans system completely - so now he's part DA and part human)

 

[zulu]

re Antivenom

I had a GF that was the head chemist at liverpool hospital,she said when a guy got bitten by a death adder she phoned up struan sutherland to check on things i think hes deceased now.I was rather surprised really about the procedure and stuff but i suppose they have to work out what someones actually bitten buy then double ckeck things.Ive noticed numerous snake bites lately,i used to do the snake shows with vens mysrlf with all the bravado but free handling never. Yeh i got some cape yorks off of a great snakey in sydney and was watching him free handle taipans,well unfortunately a few weeks latewr he was bitten by a taipan.Yeh i caughjt heaps of dangerous vens and did shows and stuff years ago but they were not given a head start to bite me,fears there for a reason.Onley dumb things i ever done was jumping out of moving vehicles to catch rough scales and other vens initially ,after that it was careful careful., Yeh you feel like jack the lad for a while,young people are maniacs espesially blokes (never gonna die),Thats just some of my feelings,i like the vens and the people that keep them but you must maintain respect for the awsum capabilities of some of these animals.

 

[Sdaji]

Stocks vary. When I needed four vials of tiger snake antivenom, that was all they had available in Melbourne. They had two where I was (Austin), they raced two from another hospital over, and they were frantically trying to source a fifth. They tracked some down in Sydney, and had then on standby ready to put it on a plane, but fortunately it wasn't needed. I think that was a bad year for supply, but shows that you have to be careful; imagine if someone else had been bitten in Sydney the next day and then another person in Melbourne.

If you call your local hospital and tell them what you keep, they'll usually (so I'm told) keep a supply of the necessary antivenom. I keep meaning to call mine, one of those many things I never seem to get around to. Apparently they're legally required to do this and get stroppy about having to (please note that I can't be completely sure about the accuracy of what I've heard on this point).

 

[olivehydra]

Stocks vary. When I needed four vials of tiger snake antivenom, that was all they had available in Melbourne. They had two where I was (Austin), they raced two from another hospital over, and they were frantically trying to source a fifth. They tracked some down in Sydney, and had then on standby ready to put it on a plane, but fortunately it wasn't needed. I think that was a bad year for supply, but shows that you have to be careful; imagine if someone else had been bitten in Sydney the next day and then another person in Melbourne.

If you call your local hospital and tell them what you keep, they'll usually (so I'm told) keep a supply of the necessary antivenom. I keep meaning to call mine, one of those many things I never seem to get around to. Apparently they're legally required to do this and get stroppy about having to (please note that I can't be completely sure about the accuracy of what I've heard on this point).

Well I must say I'm surprised at the low levels of stock! I have heard that tiger antivenom is commonly used for many species. Folk seem to be reluctant to speak of ven bites, do you mind if I ask if it was a tiger or something else?
Cheers.

 

[zulu]

re Antivenom

Yeh apparently stocks vay with antivenene sadji,its not recomended to stuff around with vens more than necessary,it dont make you a poof to use a jigger amd snake hook.

 

[Sdaji]

It was a Tiger Snake. Tiger Snake antivenom is also useful for treating copperhead bites and some black snakes, among other things (it covers everything in Melbourne except Brown Snakes). This is all written up quite clearly in several locations and it's probably much better to put up a link to such a site than to discuss it hear as what usually happens with these threads is people getting confused and new falacies being created.

 

[olivehydra]

It was a Tiger Snake. Tiger Snake antivenom is also useful for treating copperhead bites and some black snakes, among other things (it covers everything in Melbourne except Brown Snakes). This is all written up quite clearly in several locations and it's probably much better to put up a link to such a site than to discuss it hear as what usually happens with these threads is people getting confused and new falacies being created.

Thankyou Sdaji. Thanks for sharing. Perhaps if I'm ever bitten by a ven I may understanfd peoples reluctance to speak of their bites. Until then I shall keep asking :wink: Not allergic to horses I hope? :wink:

 

[Sdaji]

Not allergic to horses I hope? :wink:

I suppose not; I'm still not dead.

 

[olivehydra]

Not allergic to horses I hope? :wink:

I suppose not; I'm still not dead.

I saw a doco with Mark Oshea (I think he was looking for Burms), He was riding a water buffalo with the excuse that due to having had antivenom was unable to ride a horse due to the allergic reaction he would suffer from mere contact with an equine? Perhaps just a beat up for the show?? I dont know?

 

[Sdaji]

He is as false and empty a showman as any of the others. Any excuse to show off. It fools the common man, gets him money, gets him ratings and feeds his ego, so I suppose from his point of view he is going about business in the right way.

 

[olivehydra]

He is as false and empty a showman as any of the others. Any excuse to show off. It fools the common man, gets him money, gets him ratings and feeds his ego, so I suppose from his point of view he is going about business in the right way.

But, but, he has a beard! Surely that gives him some cred in the herp world?
As long as you leave Harry Butler alone, I'm happy As for that boer Austin Stevens..... :lol: :lol:

 

[jordo]

Olive, if you can I'd advise you to get hold of Reptiles Australia Vol 1 Issue 5. It has a detailed article about snake venom by Brendan Millgate - the different sorts, there effects on the body (in minutes, hours and days), and also a chart which shows a few common vens and what antivenom to use for them.

 

[westhamsc]

well i know frankston hospital doe's not carry any snake venom last time i checked which was 2 years ago they may now. who knows with them took 4 hours just to get my bros arm looked at :evil:

 

[Samma3l]

how long does antivenom last in the body?

I heard that it lasts for life is this true?

 

[jordo]

I think the more antivenom you have the more tolerant you are to the snake venom in the future. Roy Pails has been bitten by death adders so many times he no longer needs antivenom :shock: So I guess it must stay with you to some extent, or else your body adapts to the venom like when you get sick.