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High rate of immediate systemic hypersensitivity reactions to tiger snake antivenom

Geoffrey K Isbister, Alan Tankel, Julian White, Mark Little, Simon G Brown, David J Spain, Chris F Gavaghan and Bart J Currie
Med J Aust 2006; 184 (8): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2006.tb00297.x
Published online: 17 April 2006

To the Editor: During a national multicentre study of snake bites — the Australian Snakebite Project (ASP), involving over 40 hospitals — we have recently noted a high rate of early allergic reactions following the administration of tiger snake antivenom in Australia. People with suspected or definite snake envenoming are recruited to ASP, and laboratory and clinical data and serial blood samples are collected to measure venom and antivenom concentrations.


  • 1 Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT.
  • 2 Emergency Department, Coffs Harbour Base Hospital, NSW.
  • 3 Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, SA.
  • 4 Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, WA.
  • 5 Fremantle Hospital, Perth, WA.
  • 6 Gold Coast Hospital, Southport, QLD.
  • 7 Emergency Department, Lismore Base Hospital, NSW.


Correspondence: gsbite@ferntree.com

Competing interests:

Julian White is employed by the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide, which is paid by CSL Ltd to provide a clinical toxinology service for users of CSL antivenom and venom detection products.

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