In search of an antidote: there are no serums against snake venom in the regions

If you love the outdoors, you need to know what to do if you are attacked by a viper. In Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, this is the most common snake. It can often be found in the forest, near the river, so everyone must know what to do if bitten by this snake.

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Of course, the viper is not as poisonous a snake as a cobra or a rattlesnake, but still, if timely assistance is not provided, death is possible.

Most often, the viper is stepped on by accident. This happens when an enthusiastic mushroom picker or summer resident forgets that he is not in a city park, but in the forest. Typically, a snake will only attack if you are in close proximity to it and pose a threat. So simple attention will prevent a bite.

Viper venom has an effect on blood vessels, making their walls permeable. The viper is not an extremely venomous snake; statistics show that death is possible in less than 1% of cases. Most of these people did not receive timely help.

The likelihood of death increases if the bite occurs in the neck or head area, or if the victim is an elderly person or a child. The danger also increases for people with chronic diseases.

Help for the victim should be provided in a hospital. So immediately after being bitten, take a car or call an ambulance and go to the hospital. Here the doctor will administer an antidote and provide assistance depending on the symptoms. But in the first seconds, without waiting for the medical team to arrive, you need to provide first aid.

The benefits of viper venom

Various types of snake venom are actively used in medicine in the manufacture of various ointments and rubs. It contains a huge amount of substances that perfectly warm the skin, speed up metabolic processes, and relieve muscle tension. It contains many anti-inflammatory components:

• amino acids,
• nucleotides,
• guanine,
• inorganic salt compounds,
• lipids,
• proteins.

When combined with vitamins and plant extracts, viper venom becomes an excellent painkiller and is used for exacerbation of radiculitis, bursitis, arthritis, and inflammation of bone tissue. Application to open wounds accelerates their healing, regeneration, and eliminates scars, scratches, and rashes. Preparations based on it are indispensable in cosmetology and for the treatment of diseases associated with metabolic processes.

What are the properties of the drug?

Serum antibodies bind to molecules of viper venom and neutralize them. The resulting immune complexes “toxin + antibody” are excreted unchanged from the body without causing harm to it.

Note!

Since the whey is based on a foreign (horse) protein, when administered there is a high risk of developing an allergic reaction, including anaphylactic shock.

Externally, the serum looks like a transparent or slightly yellowish solution with slight opalescence, without additional impurities, flakes and sediment.

The effect of viper venom on the body

In most cases, the attack is caused by a person’s excessive curiosity or carelessness. Reptiles prefer to hide in tall grass, among spruce thickets, under stones on the shore of a reservoir. Their nests can be found in burrows or rotten stumps. Therefore, experts do not recommend tearing up piles of leaves and carefully checking the clearing before setting up the tent.

Unlike snakes, the viper's mouth contains sharp teeth and special glands that produce poisonous compounds. They are formed in small portions and do not accumulate in large quantities. Typically, the toxin is enough for one bite, after which it takes several hours to reproduce a new dose.

Viper venom is fatal due to the high content of specific substances that are instantly absorbed into the blood and distributed throughout the body. They affect the circulatory system, causing thinning of the walls of veins and capillaries. This leads to internal bleeding and destruction of small vessels. The risk of blockage of the aorta by a blood clot increases several times, and the functioning of the kidneys and liver is disrupted.

The consequences of a viper bite appear quite quickly and depend on the metabolism, weight and age of the victim:

• When bitten on any part of the upper body, the main dose of toxins falls on the head, affecting the brain. These are the most dangerous situations that threaten to disrupt the functioning of all systems and end in paralysis and death.
• The venom of a viper, which is just emerging from hibernation, contains a critical dose of toxic substances.
• The average time for the toxin to spread is 20-25 minutes. During this period, the first symptoms begin to appear and signs of poisoning appear. The sooner the antidote is administered, the less likely it is to die and have irreversible consequences.

Whether you can die from a viper bite depends on many factors. In most species living in the middle zone, the amount of poison is designed for a small animal: a wild boar, a hare or a dog. But when it enters the body, specific protein coagulation reactions are often triggered, and an allergy to amino acids and toxins occurs. The greatest risk of not surviving an encounter with a snake is in people with weakened immune systems, chronic diseases of the urinary system, and children under 12 years of age.

Compatibility with other drugs

It is dangerous to prescribe the antidote simultaneously with other immunobiological drugs prepared on the basis of animal proteins. In this case, the risk of developing anaphylactic shock and serum sickness increases sharply. The simultaneous use of such medications is possible only for health reasons in a hospital setting. In this case, antihistamines are pre-prescribed in an age-specific dosage.

No drug interactions with drugs of other pharmacological groups were detected in the serum.

Symptoms of a viper bite

When trying to grab a snake, the latter may wriggle and bite through the skin. At the site of a snake bite, characteristic marks remain: two red dots from which drops of blood are released. The pain goes away quickly, sometimes there is numbness or burning. In rare cases, the poison does not have time to be released from the glands. Therefore, doctors recommend carefully monitoring the victim in order to distinguish a dangerous situation from a snake bite.

The main symptoms of a viper bite appear gradually in order of danger to internal organs and systems:

• the pain at the site of the bite increases every minute,
• the skin turns red and becomes covered with dark spots,
• minor bruising occurs
• a rash appears on the body, filled with purulent contents.

The most severe symptoms are observed with viper bites near large vessels and the spinal cord. General intoxication is accompanied by signs of damage to the nervous and cardiovascular systems:

• limb spasms,
• a sharp rise in body temperature,
• swelling of the face and neck,
• lack of air,
• lack of swallowing reflex,
• uncontrolled release of urine or feces,
• dizziness,
• loss of consciousness.

When you try to count your pulse, you may notice a decrease. The victim complains of arrhythmia and a burning sensation in the chest. On palpation, the lymph nodes are noticeably enlarged. The victim practically does not react to stimuli and loses the thread of dialogue with the people around him. The symptoms are especially pronounced in a child: due to the small weight, the dose of toxins is enough for acute poisoning and dangerous consequences.

Prevention

In recent years, vipers have been actively exploring new territories and are increasingly found in city squares and near recreation centers. Therefore, it is necessary to remember the rules of behavior in places of increased danger:

• walk in the forest only in rubber boots or strong boots that protect the ankles;
• look carefully at your step, do not sit on stumps or large stones;
• check places under bushes with a long stick;
• Before setting up the tent, you should make as much noise as possible, jumping on the ground so that the snakes feel the vibration.

When living in a country house or rural area, you need to know the addresses of medical institutions that contain serum for viper venom. If you were unable to avoid a bite, it is better to calm down, remember the first aid rules and take action. This will help eliminate dangerous complications and increase the chances of a quick recovery.

First aid for a viper bite

Anyone should know what to do if they are bitten by a viper and need to provide assistance to the victim. The degree of damage, possible complications and further prognosis depend on the correct actions in the first minutes. Unfortunately, it is impossible to take an antidote with you on a walk, so simple recommendations can save lives.

First aid for a viper bite is as follows:

• The patient should be laid on the ground, legs raised with the help of a backpack or things so that the head drops as low as possible. It is important to exclude any movements or hysterics in order to lower blood pressure. This way the blood will move slowly and the manifestation of intoxication will decrease.
• If possible, the poison is removed from the wound in the first minutes: it should be suctioned out intensively without swallowing saliva. This manipulation can be done by a person who does not have erosions in the mouth. 15 minutes is enough to completely remove hazardous substances.
• The wound is generously lubricated with any antiseptic: iodine, hydrogen peroxide, brilliant green. In camping conditions, vodka or alcohol without flavor impurities is suitable.
• The victim should be given drinks that do not raise blood pressure: light tea without sugar, compote, still mineral water.

If bitten by a common viper, the patient has to be transported to the nearest hospital without waiting for the doctor to arrive. To prevent the spread of poison, the injured limb is carefully fixed and tied to the body using a belt, scarf, or piece of fabric. The limb should rise above the lying one so that the blood flow slows down.

Upon admission to the hospital, a special viper bite serum is immediately administered, which serves as an antidote and stops the spread of the poison. It is made from immunoglobulins extracted from the blood serum of horses. Contains antibodies that react with poisonous proteins - this helps stop the spread of the toxin and protects internal organs.

The use of viper antidote has the following features:

• for each type of reptile, the antidote is selected individually,
• it is prohibited to introduce a composition not intended for vipers,
• the dosage is calculated based on the weight of the victim,
• in case of loss of consciousness, the antidote is administered as a dropper,
• You can only use a high-quality drug stored in the right conditions.

The serum can provoke a severe allergic reaction to proteins, so it is not recommended to administer it in full dose. It is necessary to limit the injection to 0.1–0.2 ml, after which monitor the patient’s condition for 20–30 minutes. In the absence of complications, the vaccine can be given in the required volume, gradually increasing the amount to 4-5 ampoules.

Possible side effects and complications

The use of the drug may provoke allergic manifestations. They may occur immediately after administration of the serum or after a few hours.

A side effect appears in the form of symptoms of anaphylactic shock. They can be early (occur on the 2nd day) and late (on the 5-10th day).

On days 5-10 after administration of the serum, the following symptoms may appear:

• skin rashes;
• itching;
• increased body temperature;
• joint pain.

If a reaction to the drug occurs, its administration is suspended.

Therapeutic treatment

With proper first aid, further treatment of a viper bite is carried out depending on the symptoms. At home, you can follow simple advice from doctors:

• Drink at least 2-3 liters of purified water daily so that dangerous compounds are naturally flushed out of the body faster.
• For 7–10 days, the patient should take any antiallergic drug: Suprastin, Eden, Claritin. In case of severe intoxication, injections based on Diphenhydramine are added.
• The bite of a common viper can hurt for several days, so the wound and surrounding skin are lubricated with a solution of Lidocaine or Novocaine. It is recommended to take analgesics such as Ibuprofen, Ketanov, Nise orally.
• It is necessary to monitor heart function and control blood pressure: if there is a sharp decrease, a dose of Dopamine or its analogues is administered.

If all actions in case of a viper bite were carried out correctly, the affected area gradually turns pale, the pain and burning sensation subsides within a few days. The victim's swelling subsides and kidney function is restored. During this period, it is better to refrain from alcohol, smoking, follow a light diet, and not attend sports training.

What to do if there is no antidote?

An encounter with a viper can occur in the forest, near a river, far from civilization. So there is an antidote, but it is not always available. But the victim can be cured without a special serum.

Treatment of a patient without serum:

Consequences of a viper bite

Most patients have no idea how dangerous the viper is, ignoring small specimens from the local fauna. In fact, the consequences can lead to serious health problems. On the fangs, in addition to poison, there are dangerous microorganisms that are obtained from forest inhabitants. Often there are:

• tetanus,
• vein blockage,
• violation of lymph outflow.

The person bitten may die from the consequences that develop within 2–5 days after the bite. Therefore, it is not recommended to self-medicate and avoid visiting a doctor. It is better to remain under professional supervision for at least 3 days, undergo a full diagnosis, and get tested even if you feel relatively well.

Special instructions

Before using the drug, read the instructions:

1. It is forbidden to use the drug if the packaging is damaged or the liquid has changed color;
2. If the drug was stored in an uncontrolled temperature environment, for example during a hike, the serum must be disposed of after use;
3. The drug affects concentration, therefore, after administration, it is not recommended to drive a vehicle or other devices that require increased attention;
4. Pay attention to pregnant women and nursing mothers. They should use this product with extreme caution.

How does other medications affect the drug?

If a patient takes a medicine that contains a foreign protein, this fact must be taken into account, because then the consequences can be unpredictable.

Where can I buy

You can buy serum in pharmacies without a doctor's prescription. One package contains one ampoule with a syringe. For medical institutions, the drug is sold in 5 pcs. in ampoules in one cardboard package.