Saturday June 19, 1999 - Question 8

Which of the following statements regarding the treatment of coral snake envenomation is correct?

A. The administration of North American Coral Snake antivenin should be reserved only for those patients exhibiting initial neurological symptoms.

B. Systemic effects due to the neurotoxic venom of the Coral Snake are usually apparent within 4 – 6 hours of a bite.

C. Identifiable fang or ‘teeth’ marks are present in all clinically significant coral snake bites.

D. In adults, the initial dose of North American Coral Snake Antivenin is 3-5 vials.

E. North American Coral Snake Antivenin is not derived from horse serum, thus skin testing for horse serum allergy prior to administration is not required.
 

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