African fossorial colubroid snakes of the genus Atractaspis have relatively long fangs on short maxillae, a gap separating the pterygoid and palatine bones, a toothless pterygoid, and a snout tightly attached to the rest of the skull. They envenomate prey with a unilateral backward stab of one fang projected from a closed mouth. We combined structural reanalysis of the feeding apparatus, video ...

INTRODUCTION The Singapore shoreline has changed significantly in recent years, but the stonefish (Synanceia sp.) continues to inhabit our native waters and human envenomation still occurs regularly. In this paper, we document their clinical course, review our management experience and propose a treatment algorithm. CLINICAL PICTURE Envenomation is associated with appreciable local morbidity,...

Loxosceles is the most venomous spider in Brazil, and envenomation causes dermonecrosis and complement (C)-dependent intravascular hemolysis. The authors studied the mechanism of induction of C-induced hemolysis. Purified Loxosceles toxins rendered human erythrocytes susceptible to lysis by human C but did not have an effect on the E-bound C-regulators DAF, CR1, or CD59. However, incubation wit...

Envenomation by coral snakes (Micrurus sp.) is one of the most dangerous injuries in America and it is considered as a serious medical emergency, however bites by these snakes appear to be rare. We analyzed epidemiological data, clinical signs and antivenom use in Argentina during the period between 1979-2003. During this period of study 46 non-fatal Micrurus bites were reported. The majority o...

A significant burden of illness is caused globally by snakebites particularly by the puff adder, Bitis arietans. Presently there is no reliable and rapid method to confirm envenomation on blood chemistry; although coagulation parameters like prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, international normalized ratio and also serum electrolytes are tested. Here, we found that direct in vitro e...

Although the majority of serious cases in the world are concerned with snake bite envenomation, but those which are caused by scorpion stings are also famous for causing extreme pain. The present view is an attempt to enlist scientifically ignored medicinal plants of Pakistan exhibiting anti-scorpion venom activity. In this review data of 35 medicinal plants is collected with their families, pa...

BACKGROUND Crotalidae Polyvalent Immune Fab (Ovine) has been the only antivenom commercially available in the US since 2007 for treatment of Crotalinae envenomation. Late coagulopathy can occur or recur after clearance of Fab antivenom, often after hospital discharge, lasting in some cases more than 2 weeks. There have been serious, even fatal, bleeding complications associated with recurrence ...

BACKGROUND Although much is known about signs, symptoms, and management in the acute phase of crotaline snake envenomation, little is known about signs, symptoms, function, and quality of life during the recovery phase. The purpose of this observational pilot investigation is to evaluate the utility of several clinical outcome instruments in the setting of copperhead snakebite, and to character...

OBJECTIVE Scorpion antivenom was recently approved for use in patients with clinically significant scorpion envenomation in the United States; no formal economic analysis on its impact on cost of management has been performed. METHODS Three different strategies of management of scorpion envenomation with systemic neurotoxic symptoms in children were compared for cost minimization from a socie...

Papuan taipans (Oxyuranus scutellatus canni), death adders (Acanthophis spp.) and Papuan blacksnakes (Pseudechis papuanus) are the most dangerous snakes along the Papuan coastline. Although the Papuan blacksnake is rare, the Papuan taipan is very common in parts of Milne Bay, Central, Gulf and Western provinces, and is the commonest venomous snake implicated in cases of snakebite. Deaths adders...