Ovine Crotalid Antivenin Improves Symptoms After Copperhead Snake Envenomation

Copperhead snake envenomation carries less morbidity than other crotaline envenomations, and there is uncertainty as to whether antivenin is indicated. Investigators conducted a manufacturer-funded, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess whether ovine Crotalidae polyvalent immune Fab (CroFab; FabAV) improves limb recovery in copperhead envenomation victims.

Patients aged 12 and older who presented to 18 emergency departments with mild (90%) or moderate symptoms were randomized 2:1 to receive FabAV (N=45) or placebo (N=29). The primary outcome — the Patient-Specific Functional Scale score at 14 days — was statistically higher among those receiving antivenin (8.6 vs. 7.4 on a scale of 0–10, with 10 indicating full recover…