AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION 14 December 04 Hospital joins snake bite research effort
The emergency department at Coffs Harbour Base Hospital is taking part in a national research project centred on bites from venomous spiders and snakes.
The director of emergency services, Alan Tankel, says about 30 people a year in the district are bitten by snakes and, of those, about 10 per cent are poisoned.
Dr Tankel says the study is being run by Newcastle University's Clinical Envenoming Research Group.
He says it will measure venom and antivenom levels in blood after a sting or bite by a venomous spider or snake.
"This has grown out of the fact that when we initially got antivenoms several years ago from the CSL [Commonwealth Serum Laboratories]they were based on the average yield of captive snakes," he said.
"It's been shown over time that some snakes, particularly brown snakes, the average yield from a captive snake is quite different to a snake when it has bitten in an aggressive situation.
"What we're trying to do is hopefully one day change the amount of antivenom in the vials that we currently have so that one amp or two amps will be enough for most snake bites."
Hospital joins snake bite research effort