Envenoming by a captive Inland Taipan, Oxyuranus microlepidotus (McCoy, 1879), Elapidae. A case report, observations on clinical efficacy of expired antivenom and review of O. microlepidotus envenoming.

The clinical evolution and management of a 22-yr-old male envenomed by a captive female inland taipan, Oxyuranus microlepidotus (McCoy, 1879), Elapidae, at a public educational reptile exhibit (Florida, USA) is reported. The patient was bitten (quick 'bite and release') in the right hand between digits #3 and 4 while performing captive maintenance. The victim did not attempt any first aid, but urgently presented to the local hospital within 25 mins post-bite.

Medically important snakes and snakebite envenoming in Iran.

Snakebite is a relatively common health condition in Iran with a diverse snake fauna, especially in tropical southern and mountainous western areas of the country with a plethora of snake species. The list of medically important snakes, circumstances and effects of their bite, and necessary medical care require critical appraisal and should be updated regularly. This study aims to review and map the distributions of medically important snake species of Iran, re-evaluate their taxonomy, review their venomics, describe the clinical effects of envenoming, and discuss medical management and treatment, including the use of antivenom.

Control of venom-induced tissue injury in copperhead snakebite patients: a post hoc sub-group analysis of a clinical trial comparing F(ab') to Fab antivenom.

Introduction: Fab antivenom (FabAV) halts progression of tissue injury and improves recovery in copperhead snakebite. It is unknown if F(ab')AV does as well. The objective of this study was to compare control of tissue injury in copperhead snakebite patients treated with F(ab')AV versus FabAV.

Crotalus oreganus concolor: Envenomation Case with Venom Analysis and a Diagnostic Conundrum of Myoneurologic Symptoms.

A case of midget-faded rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus concolor) envenomation of an adult male professional herpetologist occurred in a rural setting and resulted in an array of venom induced myoneurologic symptoms. The patient experienced blurry vision, total body paresthesia, dyspnea, chest tightness, and waves of spastic muscle movements of the hands and feet that resembled tetany. It was not apparent whether these symptoms were potentially venom induced or were related to stress-induced physiologic responses.

Prognostic Factors in Acute Aluminium Phosphide Poisoning: A Risk-Prediction Nomogram Approach.

Aluminium phosphide (AlP) is a toxic agent associated with a high mortality rate following acute exposure from various routes. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical and laboratory findings useful for predicting the medical outcome of AlP-poisoned patients using established scoring systems. This is a prospective study of AlP-poisoned patients from 2010 to 2015 in Ardabil, Iran.

Complete clinical course of envenomation by Protobothrops mangshanensis: delayed coagulopathy and response to Trimeresurus albolabris antivenom.

Introduction: Protobothrops mangshanensis, the Mangshan pit viper, is a rare pit viper native to the area surrounding Mount Mang in China's Hunan province. Toxicity from envenomation is not well characterized.

Case Details: A 33-year-old male presented to an emergency department (ED) after being bitten on the forearm by his P.

Pattern of illicit drug use in patients referred to addiction treatment centres in Birjand, Eastern Iran.

Objective: To evaluate the pattern of use of opioid and other illegal drugs in patients seeking addiction treatment in Birjand, eastern Iran.

Methods: The prospective study was conducted from March 21, 2009 to March 21,2010, and comprised all patients referred to the seven addiction treatment centres in Birjand. Data was obtained through pre-designed questionnaires and it was analysed using SPSS 16.

Non-front-fanged colubroid snakes: a current evidence-based analysis of medical significance.

Non-front-fanged colubroid snakes (NFFC; formerly and artificially taxonomically assembled as "colubrids") comprise about 70% of extant snake species and include several taxa now known to cause lethal or life threatening envenoming in humans. Although the medical risks of bites by only a handful of species have been documented, a growing number of NFFC are implicated in medically significant bites. The majority of these snakes have oral products (Duvernoy's secretions, or venoms) with unknown biomedical properties and their potential for causing harm in humans is unknown.

Stability of heroin, 6-monoacetylmorphine, and morphine in biological samples and validation of an LC-MS assay for delayed analyses of pharmacokinetic samples in rats.

Degradation of heroin to 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM) and then morphine happens rapidly in vivo and in vitro. The rates of heroin and 6-MAM degradation depend on the type of biological samples, and the duration and conditions of storage. In order to optimize conditions for measuring heroin and its metabolites in samples collected for pharmacokinetic studies in rats, we investigated the time course of degradation of heroin, 6-MAM, and morphine in four biological matrices: rat blood, rat brain homogenate, bovine serum, and human plasma under various conditions.

Comparison of the behavioral effects of cigarette smoke and pure nicotine in rats.

Animal models of tobacco dependence typically rely on parenteral administration of pure nicotine. Models using cigarette smoke inhalation might more accurately simulate nicotine exposure in smokers. The primary goal of this study was to validate methods for administering cigarette smoke to rats using exposure conditions that were clinically relevant and also produced brain nicotine levels similar to those produced by behaviorally active doses of pure nicotine.

Effect of nicotine and tobacco administration method on the mechanical properties of healing bone following closed fracture.

We previously showed different effects of tobacco and nicotine on fracture healing, but due to pump reservoir limits, maximum exposure period was 4 weeks. To allow flexibility in pre- and post-fracture exposure periods, the objective of this study was to compare a new oral administration route for nicotine to the established pump method. Four groups were studied: (1) pump saline, (2) pump saline + oral tobacco, (3) pump saline/nicotine + oral tobacco, and (4) pump saline + oral nicotine/tobacco.

Passive immunization with a nicotine-specific monoclonal antibody decreases brain nicotine levels but does not precipitate withdrawal in nicotine-dependent rats.

Vaccination against nicotine is under investigation as a treatment for tobacco dependence. Passive immunization with nicotine-specific antibodies represents a complementary strategy to vaccination. A potential adverse effect of passive immunization in nicotine-dependent individuals is that it may lead to a rapid reduction in brain nicotine levels and trigger withdrawal.

Local envenoming by the Western hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus): a case report and review of medically significant Heterodon bites.

A case of clinically significant local envenoming resulting from a bite inflicted by a Western hognose snake, Heterodon nasicus, is described. The patient was bitten while offering a juvenile mouse to a captive snake. The snake maintained a grip on the patient's arm (left anticubital fossa) for several minutes.

Envenomation by the lowland viper (Proatheris superciliaris): severe case profile documentation.

This case report represents a documentation of severe envenomation by Proatheris superciliaris, a species for which no specific antivenom exists. A 27-year-old male bitten on the finger by an adult P. superciliaris developed immediate severe pain radiating up the limb and local ecchymotic features with tissue necrosis ensuing over the following 36h, requiring debridement of necrotic tissue.

Combined active and passive immunization enhances the efficacy of immunotherapy against nicotine in rats.

Vaccination against nicotine reduces the behavioral effects of nicotine in rats, and it is under clinical evaluation as a treatment for tobacco addiction. Efficacy is limited by the need for high serum nicotine-specific antibody (NicAb) levels, and currently available nicotine vaccines do not uniformly generate the required NicAb levels. Passive immunization with a nicotine-specific monoclonal antibody (Nic311) has also shown efficacy in rats.

Effects of pregnancy on nicotine self-administration and nicotine pharmacokinetics in rats.

Rationale: Because of the adverse effects of smoking during pregnancy, understanding the factors that influence maternal smoking may help in developing better treatments to help women quit smoking during pregnancy. Animal models could be useful for this purpose.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to begin the development of an animal model of smoking during pregnancy by initially characterizing nicotine self-administration (NSA) in pregnant rats.

Acetaldehyde, a major constituent of tobacco smoke, enhances behavioral, endocrine, and neuronal responses to nicotine in adolescent and adult rats.

We have previously shown that acetaldehyde, a constituent of tobacco smoke, increases nicotine self-administration in adolescent, but not adult, rats. The aim of this study was to determine whether acetaldehyde influences other behavioral, endocrine, or neuronal responses to nicotine at either age. Juvenile (postnatal day (P) 27) and adult (P90) male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with saline, acetaldehyde (16 microg/kg/injection x 2, i.

Current status of immunologic approaches to treating tobacco dependence: vaccines and nicotine-specific antibodies.

In contrast to current pharmacotherapies, immunologic approaches to treating tobacco dependence target the drug itself rather than the brain. This approach involves the use of nicotine-specific antibodies that bind nicotine in serum, resulting in a decrease in nicotine distribution to the brain and an increase in nicotine's elimination half-life. This review summarizes the literature examining the effects of immunologic interventions on the pharmacokinetics and behavioral effects of nicotine in animal models, as well as recent phase I and II clinical trials in humans.

Effects of a nicotine conjugate vaccine on the acquisition and maintenance of nicotine self-administration in rats.

Rationale: Immunization of rats against nicotine using a nicotine conjugate vaccine reduces the distribution of nicotine to brain in rats and attenuates some of nicotine's physiological and behavioral effects. It is not known whether such a vaccine can attenuate nicotine's reinforcing effects.

Objective: The present experiment was conducted to determine whether a nicotine conjugate vaccine could interfere with the acquisition and maintenance of nicotine self-administration (NSA) in rats given 23 h day(-1) access to nicotine.