Important

Pit viper bites may cause severe tissue damage or fatal envenomation, or both. The physician responsible for treatment of an envenomated patient should be familiar with the contents of this brochure and the pertinent medical literature concerning current concepts of first-aid and general supportive therapy as presented in the references listed at the end of this pamphlet.

Composition

Antivenin (Crotalidae) Polyvalent, Wyeth, is a refined and concentrated preparation of serum globulins obtained by fractionating blood from healthy horses immunized with the following venoms: Crotalus adamanteus (Eastern diamond rattlesnake), C. atrox (Western diamond rattlesnake), C. durissus terrificus (tropical rattlesnake, Cascabel), and Bothrops atrox ("Fer-de-lance"). Phenol, 0.25%, and thimerosal, 0.005%, are added as preservatives. The product is standardized by its ability to neutralize the lethal action of standard venoms by intravenous injection in mice.¹ Dried from the frozen state, the lyophilized serum has a moisture content of less than 1 % and is soluble on addition of the diluent contained in each package (Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP, with preservative: 0.001 % phenylmercuric nitrate).

Antivenin (Crotalidae) Polyvalent, Wyeth (hereinafter referred to as Antivenin) contains protective substances capable of neutralizing the toxic effects of venoms of crotalids (pit vipers) native to North, Central, and South America, including rattlesnakes (Crotalus, Sistrurus); copperhead and cottonmouth moccasins (Agkistrodon), including A. halys of Korea and Japan; the Fer-de-lance and other species of Bothrops; the tropical rattler (Crotalus durissus and similar species); the Cantil (A. bilineatus); and bushmaster (Lachesis mutus) of South and Central America.

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