antivenin latrodectus mactans equine

Approved by the FDA in 1936, Latrodectus mactans antivenin is a sterile, non-pyrogenic preparation used to treat patients with symptoms due to bites by the black widow spider. It is worth noting that this antivenin is derived from the serum of healthy horses immunized against venom of black widow spiders. In case you don’t know what a bite from this spider feels like, you will usually feel the sensation of a minor pinprick when you get bitten. Other signs and symptoms that you might experience upon the bite include difficulty breathing, which is due to paralysis of the diaphragm. In addition, the venom of the black widow spider can cause nausea, chills, and a severe increase in blood pressure. Bear in mind that hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylactoid reactions and serum sickness have been reported with the use of black widow spider antivenin. One death from anaphylactic shock and acute bronchospasm has also been reported, due to the fact that the antivenin has been administered to a patient with a number of allergies and asthma. The only other immediate reactions reported have been skin eruptions that may include urticaria and erythema. Besides, muscle cramps have been reported with the administration of this antivenin. There are, however, no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women, and the antivenin’s ability to cause fetal harm or affect reproductive capacity is also unknown