There are nearly five million snake bites and 150,000 deaths annually, mainly in tropical countries.Vipers cause hemorrhages and cobras fatal respiratory paralysis.Antivenom is the only treatment.Snakebites around the worldFauna: description and geographical distributionComposition and mode of action of venomsBite risks and accident managementSnake bite: first aid, treatmentSchematically, a distinction is made between etiological treatment, which aims to neutralize venom venom, and symptomatic treatment, the objective of which is to reduce the clinical signs that accompany envenomation.Three levels of intervention must be distinguished: at the site of the bite bite (first aid), in peripheral medical posts or surgeries and without special means (emergency treatment) and intensive care services reserved for the most severe cases (resuscitation and treatment of complications).The first thing to do is reassure the victim and avoid panic.If you have the necessary equipment, you can clean the bite.You must try to immobilize the limb with a loose bandage (Velpeau bandage, scarf gauze, etc.).It is essential to avoid dangerous gestures: burning the wound with a flame or an incandescent hot object, direct application of ice or aggressive chemicals, incisions or tourniquet.These gestures, most often useless, are always dangerous.Finally, the patient will be evacuated to the nearest health center as soon as possible.They are the responsibility of the specialist who may possibly continue the serotherapy.The treatment of hemorrhagic syndrome and/or severe anemia anemia by blood transfusion or administration of blood products is only justified once the venom has been completely eliminated thanks to the antivenom serum.Antivenom serum is made up of the antibodies antibodies of an animal, most often the horse, produced following repeated injections of increasing quantities of venom.Antivenom serum is therefore only effective against the venoms that were used to make it.New generation serums, highly purified, are perfectly effective and well tolerated.Adverse effects are usually mild and their frequency is around 5%.Gradually, manufacturers are abandoning the manufacture of monovalent serums, prepared against the venom of a single venomous species, except for a few species responsible for a large number of envenomations (the Viperidae Echis ocellatus of the savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa), island (Bothrops lanceolatus from Martinique), or widely dispersed geographically (Crotalus durissus in Latin America or Vipera berus in northern Europe).The trend is rather towards the marketing of polyvalent serums, bringing together the most frequent and dangerous species from a more or less extensive geographical region (Sub-Saharan Africa, Maghreb, Middle East, Southeast Asia, etc.) or from a family on the scale of a continent (Anti-American bugloss, anti-European bugloss, anti-Australian bugloss).Antivenom should be given intravenously as soon as possible after the bite.Its duration of action is several hours.The dosage depends on the quantity of venom inoculated, which is obviously never known but can be evaluated by the symptoms clinical symptoms both in terms of the speed of appearance of the signs and their severity.An antivenom must be effective, that is to say capable of effectively neutralizing the venoms against which it is prepared, well tolerated to avoid adding to the symptoms of envenomation those of an allergy allergy, stable in order to be able to be stored without loss of efficacy or tolerance while waiting to be administered, and accessible.Stability and preservation are obtained by lyophilization.The problem of accessibility is particularly sensitive in developing countries, the most affected by envenomation.Cost is obviously a key consideration, as the price of an ampoule of antivenom exceeds the average monthly income of victims and there is no provision for reimbursement.Product availability is also a major issue.It is usual for anti-venom serums to be kept in central purchasing offices in the capital while waiting to be ordered by pharmacies unwilling to lose their stock.Sometimes available in large hospitals, antivenom serums are absent from peripheral health centers which, however, receive the majority of poisoning accidents, for lack of a cold chain or personnel deemed capable of using them.Access to care is a recurrent problem in the majority of developing countries.Health centers are scattered and under-equipped.Caregivers are overwhelmed and rarely benefit from up-to-date relevant medical information.Added to all this is the economic crisis and civil or military insecurity;the adequate management of patients is therefore particularly difficult.As a result, public confidence in the health system is constantly eroding, which partly explains why less than 30% of patients on average are treated in health centers according to modern medical standards.Fauna: description and geographical distributionBoost your productivity with these low cost software at Godeal24Enjoy exceptional performance at an affordable price with the Victus by HP PC promotion!At less than 800 euros, this electric bike is the deal of the moment on CdiscountSay goodbye to cleaning with this robot vacuum cleaner on sale at CdiscountAmazon: save 35% on the De'Longhi Perfetto Magnifica S coffee machineThe Teeno drill-driver is at a price never seen at CdiscountBoost your productivity with these low cost software at Godeal24Enjoy exceptional performance at an affordable price with the Victus by HP PC promotion!At less than 800 euros, this electric bike is the deal of the moment on CdiscountSay goodbye to cleaning with this robot vacuum cleaner on sale at CdiscountAmazon: save 35% on the De'Longhi Perfetto Magnifica S coffee machineThe Teeno drill-driver is at a price never seen at CdiscountThe selection of theThe ethnicities of the world, by Jimmy Nelson, in 15 breathtaking photosWhat is the "Federation of Origins" founded by the discoverer of the 1st exoplanet?Graphene, a “magic angle” superconductorA formidable defense system invented by Julius Caesar discovered for the first timeThe constituent ingredients of life on Earth found in the asteroid RyuguThe most beautiful stars of the Milky WayImpossible to miss tonight the coming together of the brilliant Venus and JupiterDon't miss the next aurora borealis with these appsis the oldest profession in the worldSubscribe to the Daily newsletter to receive all our latest news once a day.Animal first aid: how to help your dog or cat?A very rare two-headed snake discovered in VirginiaWhat to do with a poisonous snake?Here are the most used treatments already tested against Covid-19Coronavirus: are there effective treatments?How many prime numbers are there?Quiz: Prime Numbers for DummiesTo see or see again: our debate on how to transmit sciencewhat to do in the event of a snakebite