Antivenom Therapy

Antivenom therapy is a specific treatment for envenomation using antivenom, also known as antivenin or venom antiserum, a preparation composed of antibodies used to treat certain venomous bites and stings. Antivenoms are recommended only where there is significant toxicity or a high risk of toxicity, and the specific antivenom needed depends on the species involved; it is given by injection, and versions are available for spider bites, snake bites, fish stings, and scorpion stings. Antivenom is traditionally made by collecting venom from the relevant animal and injecting small amounts of it into a domestic animal, then collecting and purifying the antibodies that form in that animal's blood, though due to the high cost of producing antibody based antivenoms and their short shelf lives when not refrigerated, alternative methods of production, including from bacteria, and targeted synthetic drugs are being actively explored. Side effects of antivenom therapy may be severe and include serum sickness, shortness of breath, and allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. Antivenom was first developed in the late nineteenth century and came into common use in the 1950s.