Taipan antivenom

Country: Australia

Language: English

Source: Department of Health (Therapeutic Goods Administration)

Active ingredient:

Taipan antivenom

Patient Information leaflet

TAIPAN ANTIVENOM 
1 
TAIPAN ANTIVENOM

CONSUMER MEDICINE INFORMATION_ _

WHAT IS IN THIS LEAFLET 

This leaflet answers some common 
questions about Taipan Antivenom. 

It does not contain all the available 
information. It does not take the 
place of talking to your doctor or 
pharmacist. 

All medicines have risks and 
benefits.  Your doctor has weighed 
the risks of you having Taipan 
Antivenom against the benefits they 
expect it will have. 

IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THIS 
MEDICINE, ASK YOUR DOCTOR, NURSE 
OR PHARMACIST. 

KEEP THIS LEAFLET. 
You may need to read it again. 

WHAT TAIPAN 
ANTIVENOM IS USED FOR 

_WHAT IT IS USED FOR _

Taipan  Antivenom  is  given  to  those 
people  who  become  ill  after  being 
bitten by a taipan.   

Not everyone who is bitten needs the 
antivenom as  some people have only 
very  mild  effects  from  the  bite  or 
none  at  all.    However,  some  people 
can become very ill after being bitten 
and  in  these  people  it  is  essential  to 
use  an  appropriate  amount  of 
antivenom  to  counteract  the  effects 
of the poison.   

_HOW IT WORKS _

Taipan  Antivenom  is  an  injection 
designed to help neutralise the effect 
of  the  poison  (venom)  of  the  taipan.  
The  taipan  is  one  of  the  most 
poisonous snakes in the world.  

It  is  made  by  immunising  horses 
against the venom of the taipan snake 
and  then  collecting  that  part  of  the 
horse’s  blood  which  neutralises  this 
poison. 

The  antivenom  is  purified  and  made 
into an injection for people who may 
need it after being bitten by a taipan   

ASK YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU HAVE ANY 
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY THIS MEDICINE 
HAS BEE

Summary of Product characteristics

TAIPAN ANTIVENOM PRODUCT INFORMATION 

     1(4) 

PRODUCT INFORMATION 

NAME OF THE MEDICINE 

TAIPAN 
ANTIVENOM         
AUST 
R 

74898 

DESCRIPTION 

TAIPAN ANTIVENOM is prepared from the plasma of horses immunised with
the venom of the taipan 
snake (_Oxyuranus scutellatus_).  Each vial contains 12,000 units of
antivenom which has been 
standardised to neutralise _in vitro_, the average yield of venom
from the taipan. The product also 
contains phenol, sodium chloride and other equine plasma proteins in
an aqueous solution. 

PHARMACOLOGY 

Taipan venom is probably the most potent snake venom in the world.
 Before the use of antivenom, 
taipan bites were almost invariably fatal.  The venom contains a
neurotoxin which can cause 
respiratory paralysis, a coagulant which converts prothrombin to
thrombin, which in turn produces a 
secondary afibrinogenaemia with resultant haemorrhage, and a myolytic
toxin. 

Although the amount of antivenom in each dose of TAIPAN ANTIVENOM
will neutralise the average 
yield of venom _in vitro_, the actual amount needed in clinical
practice may be considerably more, 
particularly if treatment is delayed and the effects of the venom are
already evident. 

INDICATIONS 

For the treatment of patients who exhibit manifestations of systemic
envenoming following a bite by a 
taipan. 

CONTRAINDICATIONS 

There are no absolute contraindications, but the product should not be
used unless there is clear 
evidence of systemic envenoming with the potential for serious toxic
effects. 

PRECAUTIONS 

WHEN MEDICINAL PRODUCTS PREPARED FROM ANIMAL PLASMA ARE ADMINISTERED,
INFECTIOUS DISEASES 
DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION OF INFECTIVE AGENTS CANNOT BE
TOTALLY EXCLUDED.  THIS APPLIES TO 
PATHOGENS OF HITHERTO UNKNOWN ORIGIN.  THIS POSSIBILITY MUST
ALWAYS BE CONSIDERED AND SHOULD 
BE CONVEYED, WHENEVER POSSIBLE, TO PATIENTS WHO MAY RECEIVE THE
PRODUCT.  HISTORICALLY