Antivenom

In eastern Australia1, funnel-web spider antivenom is indicated if patients have a suspected funnel-web spider bite and signs of severe envenoming.

Note: Always administer antivenom in a resuscitation area or critical care unit with readily available adrenaline (epinephrine) and resuscitation equipment.

Always administer antivenom in a resuscitation area or critical care unit with readily available adrenaline and resuscitation equipment. For an adult or child, use:

funnel-web spider antivenom 2 vials, diluted 1:10 in sodium chloride 0.9% or compound sodium lactate (Hartmann) solution, intravenously by slow injection. If the patient is at risk of fluid overload (eg young child), dilute antivenom 1:5. funnel-web spider bite funnel-web spider antivenom

Further doses of funnel-web spider antivenom are not usually required. If the patient does not respond to the first dose, seek advice from a clinical toxicologist or poisons information centre (13 11 26).

1 All cases of severe envenoming have been reported in eastern Australia, between southern coastal New South Wales and southern coastal Queensland, and severe envenoming is highly unlikely to occur elsewhere.Return