5.1 Hypersensitivity Reactions

Patients sensitive to North American Coral Snake Antivenin (Equine) or horse serum may develop anaphylaxis. Prior to intravenous North American Coral Snake Antivenin (Equine) administration, consider performing a proper skin test and modify therapy if indicated.

Consider the following precautions to manage hypersensitivity reactions:

• Emergency medical care (e.g., epinephrine, intravenous antihistamines and/or albuterol) should be readily available.
• Carefully monitor patients for signs and symptoms of an acute allergic reaction (e.g., urticaria, pruritus, erythema, angioedema, bronchospasm with wheezing or cough, stridor, laryngeal edema, hypotension, tachycardia).
• Follow-up all patients for signs and symptoms of delayed allergic reactions or serum sickness (e.g., rash, fever, myalgia, arthralgia).

Patients who receive a course of treatment with a foreign protein such as North American Coral Snake Antivenin (Equine) may become sensitized to it. Therefore, use caution when administering a repeat course of treatment with North American Coral Snake Antivenin (Equine) for a subsequent envenomation episode.