98% of venomous snake bites in the US are due to pit vipers. Occasionally a snake bite is from an exotic venomous snake being kept as a pet. In 2005, 142 exotic poisonous snakes were reported to poison control. It can be very challenging to find antivenom for these exotic animals.
Antivenom is usually specific to a family or subfamily, so the snake must be identified. Most exotic snake owners will know the common name and possibly the scientific name of the animal.
The WHO database of venomous snakes can help with identification of the species and will list antivenom available globally.
Poison centers are essential to help locate the antivenom and assist with treatment.
Relevance to the EM Physician:
When a patient presents with an exotic snake envenomation, the WHO website below can be helpful to identify the species and possible antivenom.
University of Maryland Section of Global Emergency Health
Author: Jenny Reifel Saltzberg
References
C Lubich and EP Krenzelok. Exotic snakes are not always found in exotic places: how poison centres can assist emergency departments.” Emerg Med J. 2007 November; 24(11): 796–797.
Melisa W. Lai, et al. 2005 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poisoning and Exposure Database. Clinical Toxicology, 44:803–932, 2006
