Antivenom: Dosage

The initial doses of antivenom recommended are included in the table below, and are based on the average amount of venom injected by each of the snakes concerned. There is evidence, however, that these doses may be insufficient to reverse coagulopathy associated with the bites of several Australian venomous snakes, notably the brown snake and the taipan. Larger initial doses should be considered if there is evidence of severe envenomation (multiple bites, rapidly progressive symptoms, large snakes). The dose of antivenom for children should not be reduced according to their weight, since the amount of venom injected by the snake is independent of the victim’s size.