Most rurals hospitals in Texas have a few doses ready to go. That gives them time to monitor you while decided where to send you or how to get more if needed.
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Great topic with some misleading information posted.
CroFab is the anti venom that is used today in America and it is derived from Sheep so the side effect profile is pretty much non existent. This compared with the previous horse serum derived anti venom that did have potential life threatening side effects but that was well over a decade ago. So if anyone tells you don’t take CroFab because of the side effects is not up to speed on the current treatment.
Along the lines of treatment- if a surgeon tries to perform a fasciotomy for swelling, slap him. The treatment is more CroFab. Surgery no longer has a role in snake envenomation.
The old way of thinking was to not treat copperhead envenomations because there was no mortality risk, this has changed in the last 15 years with a couple of well documented copperhead envenomation related deaths. Having said that, the main reason we treat copperhead envenomation is the morbidity. It can cause extensive swelling to extremities thus potentially cutting off blood flow to them. This is corrected with CroFab.
So if you get tagged by a rattlesnake, copperhead, cottonmouth and present to the ER you will get labs including coagulation studies done as it is a hemotoxin. If you get tagged by a cottonmouth or rattlesnake with any sign of envenomation whether physically or lab wise you get CroFab. If you get tagged by a copperhead with any lab alteration to support envenomation OR progressive swelling of an extremity OR obvious vascular compromise of an extremity due to swelling OR a hand envenomation you will get CroFab.
Yes CroFab is stupid expensive but luckily 20-25% of these bites are dry.
CroFab does not work for coral snakes but in Texas they are usually pretty benign and have a dry bite rate around 60%. The further east you go the more toxic the venom for coral snakes...
Hope this helps
And don’t waste your money on the snake venom extractor kits
Comment
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Originally posted by EmergencyDoc View PostGreat topic with some misleading information posted.
CroFab is the anti venom that is used today in America and it is derived from Sheep so the side effect profile is pretty much non existent. This compared with the previous horse serum derived anti venom that did have potential life threatening side effects but that was well over a decade ago. So if anyone tells you don’t take CroFab because of the side effects is not up to speed on the current treatment.
Along the lines of treatment- if a surgeon tries to perform a fasciotomy for swelling, slap him. The treatment is more CroFab. Surgery no longer has a role in snake envenomation.
The old way of thinking was to not treat copperhead envenomations because there was no mortality risk, this has changed in the last 15 years with a couple of well documented copperhead envenomation related deaths. Having said that, the main reason we treat copperhead envenomation is the morbidity. It can cause extensive swelling to extremities thus potentially cutting off blood flow to them. This is corrected with CroFab.
So if you get tagged by a rattlesnake, copperhead, cottonmouth and present to the ER you will get labs including coagulation studies done as it is a hemotoxin. If you get tagged by a cottonmouth or rattlesnake with any sign of envenomation whether physically or lab wise you get CroFab. If you get tagged by a copperhead with any lab alteration to support envenomation OR progressive swelling of an extremity OR obvious vascular compromise of an extremity due to swelling OR a hand envenomation you will get CroFab.
Yes CroFab is stupid expensive but luckily 20-25% of these bites are dry.
CroFab does not work for coral snakes but in Texas they are usually pretty benign and have a dry bite rate around 60%. The further east you go the more toxic the venom for coral snakes...
Hope this helps
And don’t waste your money on the snake venom extractor kits
Thank you for saving me some typing. I am in the trauma department at a Level 1 trauma center and this is all correct information based on what we do here.
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Originally posted by EmergencyDoc View PostGreat topic with some misleading information posted.
CroFab is the anti venom that is used today in America and it is derived from Sheep so the side effect profile is pretty much non existent. This compared with the previous horse serum derived anti venom that did have potential life threatening side effects but that was well over a decade ago. So if anyone tells you don’t take CroFab because of the side effects is not up to speed on the current treatment.
Along the lines of treatment- if a surgeon tries to perform a fasciotomy for swelling, slap him. The treatment is more CroFab. Surgery no longer has a role in snake envenomation.
The old way of thinking was to not treat copperhead envenomations because there was no mortality risk, this has changed in the last 15 years with a couple of well documented copperhead envenomation related deaths. Having said that, the main reason we treat copperhead envenomation is the morbidity. It can cause extensive swelling to extremities thus potentially cutting off blood flow to them. This is corrected with CroFab.
So if you get tagged by a rattlesnake, copperhead, cottonmouth and present to the ER you will get labs including coagulation studies done as it is a hemotoxin. If you get tagged by a cottonmouth or rattlesnake with any sign of envenomation whether physically or lab wise you get CroFab. If you get tagged by a copperhead with any lab alteration to support envenomation OR progressive swelling of an extremity OR obvious vascular compromise of an extremity due to swelling OR a hand envenomation you will get CroFab.
Yes CroFab is stupid expensive but luckily 20-25% of these bites are dry.
CroFab does not work for coral snakes but in Texas they are usually pretty benign and have a dry bite rate around 60%. The further east you go the more toxic the venom for coral snakes...
Hope this helps
And don’t waste your money on the snake venom extractor kits
Comment
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Originally posted by EmergencyDoc View PostGreat topic with some misleading information posted.
CroFab is the anti venom that is used today in America and it is derived from Sheep so the side effect profile is pretty much non existent. This compared with the previous horse serum derived anti venom that did have potential life threatening side effects but that was well over a decade ago. So if anyone tells you don’t take CroFab because of the side effects is not up to speed on the current treatment.
Along the lines of treatment- if a surgeon tries to perform a fasciotomy for swelling, slap him. The treatment is more CroFab. Surgery no longer has a role in snake envenomation.
The old way of thinking was to not treat copperhead envenomations because there was no mortality risk, this has changed in the last 15 years with a couple of well documented copperhead envenomation related deaths. Having said that, the main reason we treat copperhead envenomation is the morbidity. It can cause extensive swelling to extremities thus potentially cutting off blood flow to them. This is corrected with CroFab.
So if you get tagged by a rattlesnake, copperhead, cottonmouth and present to the ER you will get labs including coagulation studies done as it is a hemotoxin. If you get tagged by a cottonmouth or rattlesnake with any sign of envenomation whether physically or lab wise you get CroFab. If you get tagged by a copperhead with any lab alteration to support envenomation OR progressive swelling of an extremity OR obvious vascular compromise of an extremity due to swelling OR a hand envenomation you will get CroFab.
Yes CroFab is stupid expensive but luckily 20-25% of these bites are dry.
CroFab does not work for coral snakes but in Texas they are usually pretty benign and have a dry bite rate around 60%. The further east you go the more toxic the venom for coral snakes...
Hope this helps
And don’t waste your money on the snake venom extractor kits
Comment
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Originally posted by EmergencyDoc View PostGreat topic with some misleading information posted.
CroFab is the anti venom that is used today in America and it is derived from Sheep so the side effect profile is pretty much non existent. This compared with the previous horse serum derived anti venom that did have potential life threatening side effects but that was well over a decade ago. So if anyone tells you don’t take CroFab because of the side effects is not up to speed on the current treatment.
Along the lines of treatment- if a surgeon tries to perform a fasciotomy for swelling, slap him. The treatment is more CroFab. Surgery no longer has a role in snake envenomation.
The old way of thinking was to not treat copperhead envenomations because there was no mortality risk, this has changed in the last 15 years with a couple of well documented copperhead envenomation related deaths. Having said that, the main reason we treat copperhead envenomation is the morbidity. It can cause extensive swelling to extremities thus potentially cutting off blood flow to them. This is corrected with CroFab.
So if you get tagged by a rattlesnake, copperhead, cottonmouth and present to the ER you will get labs including coagulation studies done as it is a hemotoxin. If you get tagged by a cottonmouth or rattlesnake with any sign of envenomation whether physically or lab wise you get CroFab. If you get tagged by a copperhead with any lab alteration to support envenomation OR progressive swelling of an extremity OR obvious vascular compromise of an extremity due to swelling OR a hand envenomation you will get CroFab.
Yes CroFab is stupid expensive but luckily 20-25% of these bites are dry.
CroFab does not work for coral snakes but in Texas they are usually pretty benign and have a dry bite rate around 60%. The further east you go the more toxic the venom for coral snakes...
Hope this helps
And don’t waste your money on the snake venom extractor kits
Comment
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Originally posted by EmergencyDoc View PostGreat topic with some misleading information posted.
CroFab is the anti venom that is used today in America and it is derived from Sheep so the side effect profile is pretty much non existent. This compared with the previous horse serum derived anti venom that did have potential life threatening side effects but that was well over a decade ago. So if anyone tells you don’t take CroFab because of the side effects is not up to speed on the current treatment.
Along the lines of treatment- if a surgeon tries to perform a fasciotomy for swelling, slap him. The treatment is more CroFab. Surgery no longer has a role in snake envenomation.
The old way of thinking was to not treat copperhead envenomations because there was no mortality risk, this has changed in the last 15 years with a couple of well documented copperhead envenomation related deaths. Having said that, the main reason we treat copperhead envenomation is the morbidity. It can cause extensive swelling to extremities thus potentially cutting off blood flow to them. This is corrected with CroFab.
So if you get tagged by a rattlesnake, copperhead, cottonmouth and present to the ER you will get labs including coagulation studies done as it is a hemotoxin. If you get tagged by a cottonmouth or rattlesnake with any sign of envenomation whether physically or lab wise you get CroFab. If you get tagged by a copperhead with any lab alteration to support envenomation OR progressive swelling of an extremity OR obvious vascular compromise of an extremity due to swelling OR a hand envenomation you will get CroFab.
Yes CroFab is stupid expensive but luckily 20-25% of these bites are dry.
CroFab does not work for coral snakes but in Texas they are usually pretty benign and have a dry bite rate around 60%. The further east you go the more toxic the venom for coral snakes...
Hope this helps
And don’t waste your money on the snake venom extractor kits
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Originally posted by SabineHunter View PostDuh, that's why they make snake boots. When in snake country, always wear snake boots. Right on Traildust.
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