Snake Bite Treatment

Snake bite in the Sub Saharan Africa is a much neglected disease (clinical emergency) that causes considerable morbidity and mortality in rural poor communities.  This disease burden is preventable by the administration of appropriate anti-venom.
Treatment of poisonous snake bites could be considered under the following stage;

1. First aids at the venue of bite
2. Transfer to health facility for definitive treatment
3. Management in the treatment centre.

The last stage is the one we offer in RCF Treatment Centre which involves conducting physical and clinical examinations to establish the type of snake, the level of envenomation and the damage done on arrival.

The anti snake venoms (ASV) we use in treating snake bite cases are of 2 types:

1. Echi TAb G (ASV) a specific monovalent against Echi Ocellatus (carpet viper) bite.
2. Echi Tab-plus ICP, a specific polyvalent against the bite of arietans (puff adder), Echis Ocellatus (carpet viper) and Naja Nigricollis (black copra)

The NAFDAC registered antivemons are produced by the collaboration of EchiTAb study Group (ESG) Nigeria/UK, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Micropharm Ltd UK, and Institute Coldomiro Picado, University of Coast Rica with financial sponsorship of the Federal ministry of Health.