Pakistan Anti Snake Venom (ASV) Trial

Snakebite remains a serious medical condition in Pakistan. Currently the only confirmed treatment for snake bite is envenomation using anti snake venom. National Institute of Health Islamabad is the only indigenous producer of ASV for Pakistan while India produces its own ASV. The regional variation in snake venom is a well known phenomenon and Indian ASV is made from venom collected from the extreme south of India. There are therefore concerns that the Indian ASV might be less effective in Pakistani snakebite. Doctors in Sindh respond to this concern by administering higher doses of the Indian ASV than would be applied using NIH ASV.

The proposed trial is “Randomized, double blind trial of the average number of vials of Pakistani Vs Indian anti snake venom to restore coagulation in patients envenomed by Sochurek’s viper (Echis sochureki) in Pakistan.”

The efficacy of 2 anti snake venoms is being tested to

§   Evaluate the effectiveness of both NIH and Indian ASV, defined as the ability to restore coagulation in a victim of saw scaled viper (Echis sochureki)

§   Evaluate the safety profile defined as the recorded level of adverse reactions i.e. early anaphylactoid or pyrogenic

This trial will show which ASV is better and yet cost effective more over it would clarify whether the fears are genuine or based on feelings. It would also help the policy makers and the health providers in making future plans and treatment strategies for snakebite management.

Progress

The trial has been initiated in the public sector hospitals of Tharparkar district, Sindh. Research teams are already in the field and carrying out various activities.