SEA SNAKE TOXICITY

Course overview

SEA SNAKES, THOUGHT TO BE THE MOST ABUNDANT VENOMOUS REPTILES ON THE PLANET, ARE FOUND IN THE WARM, TROPICAL WATERS OF THE INDIAN AND PACIFIC OCEANS BUT NOT IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. THERE ARE 57 KNOWN SPECIES OF SEA SNAKES AND TWO MAJOR SUBFAMILIES (LATICAUDINAE AND HYDROPHIINAE). SEA SNAKES ARE NOT AGGRESSIVE, ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO BITE HUMANS IN SELF-DEFENSE OR WHEN SURPRISED; THIS MOST COMMONLY OCCURS WHEN FISHERMEN ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THEM FROM FISHING NETS. ENVENOMATION BY SEA SNAKES CAN BE A POTENTIALLY FATAL CONDITION IF NOT APPROPRIATELY TREATED, AS SEA SNAKE VENOM IS A POTENT NEUROTOXIN WITH LOW LD50 VALUES. SUBSEQUENT RESPIRATORY COMPROMISE OR DROWNING CAN OCCUR OWING TO THE PARALYSIS OF THE DIAPHRAGM AND SKELETAL MUSCLES, RESPECTIVELY. ALTHOUGH NOT ALL BITES RESULT IN ENVENOMATION, AVOIDANCE OF SEA SNAKES IS THE BEST APPROACH. THIS ACTIVITY OUTLINES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SEA SNAKE TOXICITY AND THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR PATIENTS EXPOSED TO THIS VENOM.