Sea Snake Antivenom

Sea Snake Antivenom

Active ingredient: sea snake antivenom (equine)

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Consumer Medicine Information (CMI)

This leaflet provides important information about using Sea Snake Antivenom. You should also speak to your doctor or pharmacist if you would like further information or if you have any concerns or questions about using Sea Snake Antivenom.

Where to find information in this leaflet:

1. Why am I using Sea Snake Antivenom?
2. What should I know before being given Sea Snake Antivenom?
3. What if I am taking other medicines?
4. How is Sea Snake Antivenom given?
5. What should I know while being given Sea Snake Antivenom?
6. Are there any side effects?
7. Product details

1. Why am I using Sea Snake Antivenom?

Sea snake Antivenom contains the active ingredient sea snake antivenom (equine). Sea Snake Antivenom is an injection designed to help neutralise the effect of the poison (venom) of the sea snake.

Sea Snake Antivenom is given to people who become ill after being bitten by sea snake. Not everyone who is bitten needs the antivenom, as some people have only very mild effects from the bite or none at all. However, some people can become very ill after being bitten, and in these people, it may be important to use an appropriate amount of antivenom to counteract the effects of the venom.

2. What should I know before being given Sea Snake Antivenom?

Warnings

Sea Snake Antivenom should not be given if:

• You do not have any ill effects from the sea snake bite.

Always check the ingredients to make sure you can use this medicine.

Check with your doctor if you:

• Have allergies to any other medicines or any other substances such as foods, preservatives or dyes
• have any other medical conditions especially the following: asthma, hayfever,
• take any medicines for any other condition.
• received injections containing horse serum (including snake bite and other antivenoms, and anti-tetanus injections before 1974)
• received injection of Sea Snake Antivenom.

During treatment, you may be at risk of developing certain side effects. It is important you understand these risks and how to monitor for them. See additional information under Section 6. Are there any side effects?

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Check with your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant.

Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding or intend to breastfeed.

3. What if I am taking other medicines?

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any medicines, vitamins or supplements that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.

Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure about what medicines, vitamins or supplements you are taking and if these affect Sea Snake Antivenom.

4. How is Sea Snake Antivenom given?

How much is given

The dose for both adults and children is one vial (1,000 units). The dose can be repeated as necessary.

Your doctor will take precautions to counteract any allergic reactions if they should happen.

When is Sea Snake Antivenom given

• Sea Snake Antivenom should be only given to those people who become ill after being bitten by a sea snake.

How is Sea Snake Antivenom given

This medicine is diluted and given slowly as a drip into a vein.

Once diluted Sea Snake Antivenom should be used immediately. Diluted antivenom should not be stored.

Sea Snake Antivenom does not contain any antimicrobial preservative. It should be used once, and any residue discarded.

5. What should I know while being given Sea Snake Antivenom?

When medicines are produced in animals and injected into you, it is always possible that viruses or other substances could be present in the medicine and cause an illness. These could be viruses or other infectious agents which may not yet have been discovered. In the past, there have been no reports of this ever having happened with this product.

If you have any queries about any aspect of this medicine, or questions regarding information in this leaflet, discuss them with your doctor or pharmacist.

6. Are there any side effects?

All medicines can have side effects. If you do experience any side effects, most of them are minor and temporary. However, some side effects may need medical attention.

As the injection is made from horse serum, side effects occur more commonly in those who have allergies, particularly if they have ever had injections before which were also prepared in horses. Allergic reactions can be treated by your doctor.

See the information below and, if you need to, ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any further questions about side effects.

Less serious side effects

Less serious side effects	What to do
local reaction around the injection site such as redness, tenderness, pain or discomfort, warmth, burning or stinging, swelling or the formation of hard lumps or scars chills aching muscles, muscle tenderness or weakness, not caused by exercise stomach pain or discomfort headache nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. These side effects are usually mild.	Speak to your doctor if you have any of these less serious side effects and they worry you.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects

What to do

sudden signs of allergy such as rash, itching or hives on the skin, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body, shortness of breath, wheezing or trouble breathing, rapid, shallow breathing, cold, clammy skin, a rapid, weak pulse, dizziness, weakness and fainting pinkish, itchy swellings on the skin, also called hives or nettle rash fever, swelling, skin rash, joint pains and swelling of the glands in the neck, armpit or groin, anytime up to two weeks after the injection chest pain high temperature. These may be serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention.

Call your doctor straight away, or go straight to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital if you notice any of these serious side effects.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything else that may be making you feel unwell.

Other side effects not listed here may occur in some people.

Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.

Reporting side effects

After you have received medical advice for any side effects you experience, you can report side effects to the Therapeutic Goods Administration online at www.tga.gov.au/reporting-problems. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

Always make sure you speak to your doctor or pharmacist before you decide to stop taking any of your medicines.

7. Product details

This medicine is only available with a doctor’s prescription.

What Sea snake Antivenom contains

Active ingredient (main ingredient)	1,000 units of Sea Snake Antivenom (equine)
Other ingredients (inactive ingredients)	phenol sodium chloride water for injections
Potential allergens	This product also contains substances from horse blood. The vial and all associated components do not contain latex.

What Sea Snake Antivenom looks like

Sea Snake Antivenom is a light straw coloured, slightly viscous, transparent solution in a glass vial.

AUST R 74901.

Who distributes Sea Snake Antivenom

Seqirus Pty Ltd
ABN 26 160 735 035
63 Poplar Road
Parkville 3052
Victoria
Australia

This leaflet was prepared in June 2021.