Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume 95, Issue 1 , Pages 74-80 , January 2001

An open, randomized comparative trial of two antivenoms for the treatment of envenoming by Sri Lankan Russell's viper (Daboia russelii russelii)

  • C.Ariaranee Ariaratnam

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
    • ,
  • Lena Sjöström

      Affiliations

    • Protherics PLC, Macclesfield, UK
    • ,
  • Zeenia Raziek

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
    • ,
  • S. Abeyasinghe
    • ,
  • M. Kularatne

      Affiliations

    • Anuradhapura General Hospital, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
    • ,
  • R.W.K.Kodikara Arachchi

      Affiliations

    • Anuradhapura General Hospital, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
    • ,
  • M.H.Rezvi Sheriff

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
    • ,
  • R.David G. Theakston

      Affiliations

    • World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for the Control of Antivenoms and Venom Research Unit, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
    • ,
  • David A. Warrell

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress for correspondence: Professor D. A. Warrell, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; phone +44 (0)1865 220968; fax +44 (0)1865 220984.
    • Centre for Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

Received 24 May 2000 ,Revised 29 June 2000 ,Accepted 29 June 2000.

References 

  1. Ariaramam CA, Meyer WP, Perera G, Eddleston M, Kuleratne SAM, Attapattu W, et al. A new monospecific ovine Fab fragment antivenom for treatment of envenoming by the Sri Lankan Russell's viper (Daboia rutsselii russelii): a preliminary dose-finding and pharmacokinetic study. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 1999;61:259–265
  2. Ball DE, Tisocki K. Prophylaxis against early anaphylactic reactions to snake antivenom [Correspondence]. British Medical Journal. 1999;319:920–921
  3. De Silva A, Ranasinghe L. Epidemiology of snake bite in Sri Lanka: a review. Ceylon Medical Journal. 1983;28:144–154
  4. Grandgeorge M, Veron JL, Lutsch C, Makula MF, Riffard P, Pepin S, et al. Preparation of improved F(ab′)2 antivenoms. An example: new polyvalent European viper antivenom (equine). In:  Bon C,  Goyffon M editor. Envenomings and Their Treatments. Merieux Lyon: Fond. Marcel; 1996;p. 161–172
  5. Jayanthi GP, Gowda TV. Geographical variation in India in the composition and lethal potency of Russell's viper (Vipera russelii) venom. Toxicon. 1988;26:257–264
  6. Malasit P, Warrell DA, Chanthavanich P, Virivan C, Mongkolsapaya J, Sinhthong B, et al. Prediction, prevention and mechanism of early (anaphylactic) reactions in victims of snake bite. British Medical Journal. 1986;292:17–20
  7. Meyer WP, Habib AG, Onayade AA, Yakubu A, Smith DC, Nasidi A, et al. First clinical experiences with a new ovine Fab Echis ocellatus snake bite antivenom in Nigeria: randomized comparative trial with Institut Pasteur Serum (Ipser) Africa antivenom. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 1997;56:291–300
  8. Phillips RE, Theakston RDG, Warrell DA, Galigedara Y, Abeysekara DTDJ, Dissanayaka P, et al. Paralysis, rhabdomyolysis and haemolysis caused by bites of Russell's viper (Vipera russelii pulchella) in Sri Lanka: failure of Indian (Haffkine) antivenom. Quarterly Journal of Medicine. 1988;68:691–715
  9. Premawardhena AP, de Suva CE, Fonseka MMD, Gunathilake SB, de Suva HJ. Low dose subcutaneous adrenaline to prevent acute adverse reactions to antivenom serum in people bitten by snakes; randomised, placebo controlled trial. British Medical Journal. 1999;318:1041–1045
  10. Rivière G, Choumet V, Audebert F, Sabourand A, Debray M, Scherrmann JM, et al. Effect of antivenom on venom pharmacokinetics in experimentally envenomed rabbits: toward an optimisation of antivenom therapy. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 1997;281:1–8
  11. Sano-Martins IS, Fan HW, Castro SCB, Tomy SC, Franca FOS, Jorge MT, et al. Reliability of the simple whole blood clotting test (WBCT20) as an indicator of low plasma fibrinogen concentration in patients envenomed by Bothrops snakes. Toxicon. 1994;32:1045–1050
  12. Schulz KF. Subverting randomization in controlled trials. Journal of The American Medical Association. 1995;244:1456–1458
  13. Theakston RDG, Warrell DA. Antivenoms: a list of hyperimmune sera currently available for the treatment of envenoming by bites and stings. Toxicon. 1991;29:1419–1470
  14. Tsai IH, Lu PJ, Su JC. Two types of Russell's viper revealed by variation in phospholipases A2 from venom of the subspecies. Toxicon. 1996;34:99–109
  15. Warrell DA. Snake venoms in science and clinical medicine, 1. Russell's viper: biology, venom and treatment of bites. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 1989;83:732–740
  16. Warrell DA. Geographical and intraspecies variation in the clinical manifestations of envenoming by snakes. In:  Thorpe RS,  Wuster W,  Malhotra A editor. Venomous Snakes, Ecology, Evolution and Snake Bite. Oxford: Clarendon Press; 1997;p. 189–203
  17. Warrell DA, Davidson NMcD, Greenwood BM, Ormerod LD, Pope HM, Watkins BJ, et al. Poisoning by bites of the saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) in Nigeria. Quarterly Journal of Medicine. 1977;46:33–62
  18. Warrell DA, Looareesuwan S, Theakston RDG, Phillips RE, Chanthavanich P, Viravan C, et al. Randomized comparative trial of three monospecific antivenoms for bites by three Malayan pit vipers (Calloselasma rhodostoma) in southern Thailand: clinical and laboratory correlations. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 1986;35:1235–1247

PII: S0035-9203(01)90339-6

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume 95, Issue 1 , Pages 74-80 , January 2001

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