What are the effects of snake venom serum

People who may have been bitten by venomous snakes are very familiar with snake venom serum. This is a medicine that is made by extracting snake venom and can treat snake bites. The most common way of this medicine is intravenous injection. Basically, the snake venom serum should be injected about four hours after the patient is bitten by a venomous snake. In this way, the effect will be best.

Anti-snake venom serum is made by purifying the antibodies produced by animals after small amounts of snake venom are injected into animals multiple times. It contains high-cost anti-snake venom antibodies. When bitten by a snake, the venom enters the body and becomes an antigen for humans. The injected antivenom serum contains corresponding antibodies, which can neutralize the corresponding snake venom, specifically bind to form a complex, render the toxin inactive, and be processed by the corresponding phagocytes of the body, thereby making the toxin lose its effect on humans. Therefore, the sooner the anti-snake venom serum is injected after the initial treatment of the wound after being bitten by a venomous snake, the more beneficial it is to the body.

Usage: Usually injected intravenously, but can also be injected intramuscularly or subcutaneously in one time.

Dosage: For pit viper bites, inject 6000IU of antivenom; for Agkistrodon acutus bites, inject 8000IU of antivenom; for Bungarus cobra or cobra bites, inject 10000IU of antivenom or 2000IU of antivenom. The above dosage can approximately neutralize the amount of venom discharged by a corresponding snake. The dosage can be increased or decreased depending on the patient's condition. An allergy test must be done before injection, and only those with a negative result can be injected with the full dose.

1. Allergy test method: Take 0.1ml antiserum and add 1.9ml physiological sodium chloride injection, i.e. 20 times dilution. Inject 0.1 ml intradermally on the palmar forearm. After 20 to 30 minutes, if the injected papule is within 2 cm and there is no red halo or spider legs around the papule, it is negative and can be injected directly under close observation. If the injection site shows enlarged skin papules, redness, swelling, and infiltration, especially those resembling pseudopodia or itching, it is a positive reaction. If the test result is suspected to be positive, pre-inject 10 mg of chlorpheniramine (the amount should be reduced according to weight for children), and then inject this product 15 minutes later. If the test result is positive, desensitization injection should be used.

2. Desensitization injection method: Take sodium chloride injection and dilute the antiserum 20 times. Make subcutaneous injections several times, observe for 10 to 20 minutes each time, and inject 0.4 ml for the first time. If there is no response, the injection may be increased as appropriate. After more than 3 injections and observations, if there is no abnormal reaction, intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous injection can be performed. The preparation was warmed in a 37°C water bath for several minutes before injection. The injection speed should be slow, not exceeding 1 ml per minute at the beginning and should not exceed 4 ml thereafter. During the injection, if there is any abnormal reaction, the injection should be stopped immediately.

In the article, we have learned about the functions of snake venom serum. Generally speaking, this serum needs to be extracted from animals. A small amount of snake venom needs to be injected into the animal's body, and then antigens are produced. In this way, anti-snake venom serum can be obtained, which can be used to treat snake venom.