Multi-Brown Snake Antivenom
It is estimated that each year in Australia over 6200 cases of snakebite are presented to Veterinarians, 76% suffering from Brown snake envenomation and 13% Tiger snake. However the actual number of snakebite in animals is thought to be much higher. If you take into consideration that Australia has 21 of the worlds 25 deadliest snakes, these two facts coupled together produces a lot of very sick animals. Summerland Serums has two snake antivenom products for Veterinary use, Tiger/Multi Brown Snake AV and Multi-Brown Snake Antivenom
DOSAGE & DISTRIBUTION CHART
*Multiple vials of antivenom may be required in severe cases. What is recommended is the appropriate initial dose only.
Snake |
Distribution |
Antivenom of choice |
Rec. Initial dose |
Notechis scutatus Mainland/ Eastern Tiger Snake |
QLD, NSW, VIC, SA |
TIGER / MULTI-BROWN |
1 Vial |
Notechis ater Black/ Island Tiger Snake |
WA, SA, TAS |
TIGER / MULTI-BROWN |
2 Vials |
Chappell Island Black Tiger Snake |
TAS |
TIGER / MULTI-BROWN |
4 Vials |
Pseudonaja textilis Common/ Eastern Brown Snake |
NT, QLD, NSW, VIC, SA |
TIGER / MULTI-BROWN MULTI-BROWN |
¼ -½ Vial 1 Vial |
Pseudonaja nuchalis Gwardar/ Western Brown Snake |
WA, NT, SA, QLD, NSW, VIC |
TIGER / MULTI-BROWN MULTI-BROWN |
¼ - ½ Vial 1 Vial |
Pseudonaja affinis Dugite |
WA, SA |
TIGER / MULTI-BROWN MULTI-BROWN |
¼ - ½ Vial 1 Vial |
Austrelaps Copperheads |
SA, VIC, TAS, NSW |
TIGER MULTI BROWN |
1 Vial |
Pseudechis porphyriacus Red Bellied/ Common Black Snake |
SA, VIC, NSW, QLD |
TIGER / MULTI-BROWN |
1 Vial |
Pseudechis australis Mulga Snake |
WA, SA, QLD, NT, NSW |
Black Snake A.V/ or TIGER MULTI BROWN |
1 Vial or 6 Vials |
Pseudechis guttatus Blue Bellied or Spotted Black Snake |
QLD, NSW |
TIGER MULTI BROWN |
1 Vial |
Pseudechis colletti Collett’s Snake |
QLD |
TIGER MULTI BROWN |
3 Vials |
Pseudechis butleri Butler’s/ Spotted Mulga or Yellow Bellied Black Snake |
WA |
TIGER MULTI BROWN |
3 Vials |
Tropidechis carinatus Rough Scaled/ Clarence River Snake |
QLD, NSW |
TIGER MULTI BROWN |
1 Vial |
Hoplocephalus bungaroides Broadheaded Snake |
NSW |
TIGER MULTI BROWN |
1 Vial |
Hoplocephalus stephensii Stephen’s Banded Snake |
NSW, QLD |
TIGER MULTI BROWN |
1 Vial |
Hoplocephalus bitorquatus Pale Headed Snake |
NSW, QLD |
TIGER MULTI BROWN |
1 Vial |
SERUM PRODUCTION
Summerland Serums snake antivenoms are prepared from hyper immunised horses and are standardised to a high antivenom titre to ensure a satisfactory clinical response. These horses have been selected as they possess a specific predisposition to the production of snake antivenom not only high in antitoxin titre units but also in prothrombin activator levels which have been shown to cause significant difficulties in the treatment of snakebite ( Spivulis et al 1996; Tibbals et al 1992 ). High prothrombin levels are vital as it has been shown that unrelenting coagulopathy due to the slow reversal of the prothrombin activator presents the added risk of haemorrhage to the victim (Sutherland 1995). Summerland Serums antivenoms undergo both a chemical purification, and membrane filtration sterilisation process that is unique to these products in Australia. This process has a twofold effect of firstly concentrating the IgG component in the protein that carries the anti toxin units and the prothrombin activator, while secondly removing surplus albumin, alpha1, alpha2 , and some of the beta component thereby greatly reducing the chance of anaphylaxis and "serum sickness" which is an immune response to Ag-Ab complexes deposited on endothelial surfaces.
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IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER
The three main causes of death in treating snakebite in Australia are due to the following (Swindells, Murdoch University WA 2007) :
- treatment is delayed
- the wrong antivenom is administered
- insufficient antivenom is given
The correct amount of antivenom to administer is dependant upon the likely amount of venom injected and the potency of that venom.
Venom potency can vary greatly within the individual itself, between different individuals within the same species, and between different species.
There is also a huge variability in the volume of venom injected. This can depend upon; the age of the snake, whether it is a defensive or offensive bite, when the snake last fed, and the number of strikes.
The Mulga Snake or King Brown Snake (Pseudechis australis) is actually a Black Snake therefore Brown Snake AV will not work. It is preferable to treat Mulga snakebite with straight Black Snake AV.
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