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Antivenom efficacy, safety and availability: measuring smoke

Allen C Cheng and Ken D Winkel
Med J Aust 2004; 180 (1) || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb05763.x
Published online: 5 January 2004

Improving safety is important, but in many regions antivenoms are not available

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  • 1 Infectious Diseases Unit, Menzies School of Health Research, Casuarina, NT.
  • 2 Department of Pharmacology, Australian Venom Research Unit, Parkville, VIC.


Correspondence: 

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  • 11. Malasit P, Warrell DA, Chathavanich P, et al. Prediction, prevention, and mechanism of early (anaphylactic) antivenom reactions in victims of snake bites. BMJ 1986; 292: 17-20.
  • 12. Winkel KD. Anaphylaxis associated with the same batch of tiger-snake antivenom [letter]. Med J Aust 2001; 174: 609-610.
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  • 17. Product information: Australia New Guinea polyvalent snake antivenom. Parkville: CSL Limited, 2000.
  • 18. Dart RC, McNally J. Efficacy, safety, and use of snake antivenoms in the United States. Ann Emerg Med 2001; 37: 181-188.
  • 19. Lin RY, Curry A, Pesola GR, et al. Improved outcomes in patients with acute allergic syndromes who are treated with combined H1 and H2 antagonists. Ann Emerg Med 2000; 36: 462-468.
  • 20. Theakston RDG, Warrell DA. Antivenoms: a list of hyperimmune sera currently available for the treatment of envenoming by bites and stings. Toxicon 1991; 29: 1419-1470.

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