|
11-17 of 17 messages
|
Previous
Page 2 of 2
|
|
RE: “Mandatory AV For Hospitals”
|
Reply
|
|
by FLherp on December 13, 2006
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
I am consistently forgetting points until I return and read the thread over...Hawaii, Alaska, are in the US and has no native snake fauna,
|
| |
|
RE: “Mandatory AV For Hospitals”
|
Reply
|
|
by JoeCrotalid on December 13, 2006
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
To quote Dr. Richard Dart (Nebraska Snakebite symposium),"Every hospital in the United States should stock CroFab and quit worrying about their pharmacy budget, especially when you consider that they stock drugs such as many of the cancer medications which offer alot less to the patient." As a treatment specialist in Florida, I work with our pharmacy to ensure we always have at least 30 vials of CroFab on hand. In addition, we are one of the only facilities in our area that still has 5 vials of M. fulvius antivenom in stock. However, we are a large level 2 trauma center, and we generally receive snakebite victims as transfers from smaller outer hospitals. with regards to these hospitals, I believe they should at least carry a first dose (4-10 vials) and then transfer or try to obtain more antivenom, but at least have that first dose. With regards to exotic antivenom, we have Venom1 available to us, but many hospitals have to go through zoo's or universities with reptiles for antivenom, but as a keeper myself, I feel part of being a responsible keeper of exotics is maintaining at least your own first dose of exotic antivenom until these facilities can obtain more from other sources. I also recommend that if your responding to this question then you must also address the speakout question about being bitten. The government will not address this is issue as important, so its up to you to approach your local hospital's ED and pharmacy about stocking CroFab.
|
| |
|
RE: “Mandatory AV For Hospitals”
|
Reply
|
|
by FLherp on December 13, 2006
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Economic considerations are the bottom line - hospitals in most cases are profit driven, even non-profits have to consider expenses. The cost of Crofab might prohibit smaller institutions from being able to maintain these medications.
I did not say I did not think hospitals should maintain them. I said that it would be hard to sell the idea to the hospitals and the public.
|
| |
|
RE: “Mandatory AV For Hospitals”
|
Reply
|
|
by Cro on December 13, 2006
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
On the issue of expired stocks of CroFab antivenom, I have heard that some Veternarians in snake country get the expired vials for use on Dogs, Cats, and Livestock that have recieved snake bites.
I was just wondering how common this practice is, and if the hospitals and emergency medics make an effort to find Vets who will use the expired antivenom?
That way, an expired $1,000.00 vial could have some retained value for saving the lives pets and livestock for several years after its useful window for humans had passed.
Best Regards JohnZ
|
| |
|
RE: “Mandatory AV For Hospitals”
|
Reply
|
|
by earthguy on December 13, 2006
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
I know how many CroFab vials each of the hospitals in my area carries. They each carry 5-10. I know that isn't enough to treat a bite to completion, but it should be enough to stabilize a bite until the victim can be medivacted to our larger hospital (about 15 minutes as the crow flies). Also multiple hospitals could share A/V stock, as the probability of multiple bites at the same time is pretty low. At very least they could do a mathematical model to determine the feasability of it.
|
| |
|
RE: “Mandatory AV For Hospitals”
|
Reply
|
|
by FLherp on December 13, 2006
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
There are also a greater population of people with cancer, than with envenomations (early estimates of 8,000 more recent estimates a few thousand less). There are numerous diseases which receive little or no funding for research because of the small population of patients so affected(except for money from foundations created specifically to collect and disburse funding for that particalr malady) . Also pharmaceutical manufacturers do not investigate drugs for these illnesses as they would have such a small pool of purchasers the economics of production are not profitable. These are business decisions.
|
| |
|
RE: “Mandatory AV For Hospitals”
|
Reply
|
|
by tj on December 13, 2006
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
I think mandatory would be a tough sell, especially with the recent problem that Protherics had when they had to tank a large batch of CroFab and stop production for a period of time. If you recall, there was a huge shortage because of it. If that hapens again, what would happen? Would there be a penalty because the producers couldn't meet demands? Would there be a penalty to the hospital's for not being able to acquire a mandated serum? Also, there are areas where snakebites are so rare, that there is no way a hospital that is in the red, like a majority around here, would pay the money to keep stock on hand.
In NY, especially near Syracuse where I am, there are very few hospitals that keep AV on hand. I just don't see how it would be possible, especially just for accomodating people that keep snakes. If we say hospitals should keep CroFab on hand for us, then regulator's can turn it around and say WE need to keep CroFab in order to keep venomous snakes.
|
| |
|
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this topic.
Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help
Check our help page for help using
, or send questions, comments, or suggestions to the
Manager.
|
