Diagnosis of Snakebite and the Importance of Immunological Tests in Venom Research
In many cases of envenoming following snake bite, the snake responsible for the accident remains unidentified; this frequently results in difficulty deciding which antivenom to administer to the systemically-envenomed victim, especially when only monospecific antivenoms are available. Normally the s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2014-05-01
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| Series: | Toxins |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/6/5/1667 |
| _version_ | 1811300066065907712 |
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| author | R. David G. Theakston Gavin D. Laing |
| author_facet | R. David G. Theakston Gavin D. Laing |
| author_sort | R. David G. Theakston |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In many cases of envenoming following snake bite, the snake responsible for the accident remains unidentified; this frequently results in difficulty deciding which antivenom to administer to the systemically-envenomed victim, especially when only monospecific antivenoms are available. Normally the specific diagnosis of snake bite can be conveniently made using clinical and laboratory methods. Where clinical diagnosis depends upon the recognition of specific signs of envenoming in the patient, laboratory diagnosis is based on the changes which occur in envenomed victims including the detection of abnormalities in blood parameters, presence/absence of myoglobinuria, changes in certain enzyme levels, presence/absence of neurotoxic signs and the detection in the blood of specific venom antigens using immunologically-based techniques, such as enzyme immunoassay. It is the latter which is the main subject of this review, together with the application of techniques currently used to objectively assess the effectiveness of new and existing antivenoms, to assess first aid measures, to investigate the possible use of such methods in epidemiological studies, and to detect individual venom components. With this in mind, we have discussed in some detail how such techniques were developed and how they have helped in the treatment of envenoming particularly and in venom research in general. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T06:45:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7c347e78611948aeb5d03f7e21f2970f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6651 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T06:45:46Z |
| publishDate | 2014-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxins |
| spelling | doaj.art-7c347e78611948aeb5d03f7e21f2970f2022-12-22T02:57:36ZengMDPI AGToxins2072-66512014-05-01651667169510.3390/toxins6051667toxins6051667Diagnosis of Snakebite and the Importance of Immunological Tests in Venom ResearchR. David G. Theakston0Gavin D. Laing1Alistair Reid Venom Research Unit, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5QA, UKAlistair Reid Venom Research Unit, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5QA, UKIn many cases of envenoming following snake bite, the snake responsible for the accident remains unidentified; this frequently results in difficulty deciding which antivenom to administer to the systemically-envenomed victim, especially when only monospecific antivenoms are available. Normally the specific diagnosis of snake bite can be conveniently made using clinical and laboratory methods. Where clinical diagnosis depends upon the recognition of specific signs of envenoming in the patient, laboratory diagnosis is based on the changes which occur in envenomed victims including the detection of abnormalities in blood parameters, presence/absence of myoglobinuria, changes in certain enzyme levels, presence/absence of neurotoxic signs and the detection in the blood of specific venom antigens using immunologically-based techniques, such as enzyme immunoassay. It is the latter which is the main subject of this review, together with the application of techniques currently used to objectively assess the effectiveness of new and existing antivenoms, to assess first aid measures, to investigate the possible use of such methods in epidemiological studies, and to detect individual venom components. With this in mind, we have discussed in some detail how such techniques were developed and how they have helped in the treatment of envenoming particularly and in venom research in general.http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/6/5/1667snakebiteclinical diagnosislaboratory diagnosisbiodetectionantivenompharmacokineticsfirst aidepidemiologyvenom components |
| spellingShingle | R. David G. Theakston Gavin D. Laing Diagnosis of Snakebite and the Importance of Immunological Tests in Venom Research Toxins snakebite clinical diagnosis laboratory diagnosis biodetection antivenom pharmacokinetics first aid epidemiology venom components |
| title | Diagnosis of Snakebite and the Importance of Immunological Tests in Venom Research |
| title_full | Diagnosis of Snakebite and the Importance of Immunological Tests in Venom Research |
| title_fullStr | Diagnosis of Snakebite and the Importance of Immunological Tests in Venom Research |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diagnosis of Snakebite and the Importance of Immunological Tests in Venom Research |
| title_short | Diagnosis of Snakebite and the Importance of Immunological Tests in Venom Research |
| title_sort | diagnosis of snakebite and the importance of immunological tests in venom research |
| topic | snakebite clinical diagnosis laboratory diagnosis biodetection antivenom pharmacokinetics first aid epidemiology venom components |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/6/5/1667 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rdavidgtheakston diagnosisofsnakebiteandtheimportanceofimmunologicaltestsinvenomresearch AT gavindlaing diagnosisofsnakebiteandtheimportanceofimmunologicaltestsinvenomresearch |