FEASIBILITY OF ELECTRIC SHOCK TREATMENT OF ENVENOMATION

ANNUALLY 30,000 TO 40,000 DEATHS ARE ATTRIBUTED TO SNAKEBITEWORLDWIDE, WITH 6,700 VENOMOUS SNAKEBITES ANNUALLY IN THE U.S.. ABOUT 20% OF AMERICANS ARE HYPERSENSITIVE TO VENOMS OF HYMENOPTERAN INSECTS. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP AND DEMONSTRATE THE SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF A DEVICE USED IN FIRST AID TREATMENT OF VENOMOUS BITES AND STINGS. THIS DEVICE APPLIES HIGH VOLTAGE, LOW CURENT ELECTRIC SHOCK TO THE WOUND SITE AND MAY BE USED BY NONPROFESSIONALS. THE PROPOSED TREATMENT METHOD WOULD REPLACE EXISTING SNAKE BITE KITS AND ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK TREATMENT KITS, AND REDUCE THE USE OF ANTI-VENIN WITH CONCOMMITANT ANAPHYLAXIA AND SERUM SICKNESS. THE SPECIFIC AIMS ARE TO: ESTABLISH THE SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION OF FIELD EXPERIENCE PUBLISHED IN 1986; UNDERSTANDTHE LIMITATIONS OF THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF THE TREATMENT;OPTIMIZE THE PARAMETERS OF DELIVERY OF THE ELECTRIC SHOCK FOR MAXIMUM EFFICACY AND SAFETY WITH MINIMUM ASSOCIATED PAIN; AND DEVELOP A DEVICE FOR FIELD APPLICATION OF THE TREATMENT METHOD. THE PHASE I METHODOLOGY INCLUDES DESIGNING INSTRUMENTATION, USING ANIMAL MODELS TO DEMONSTRATE THE MORTALITY DIFFERENCESBETWEEN GROUPS RECEIVING TREATED VERSUS UNTREATED VENOMS, PERFORMING A SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS OF COMPREHENSIVE CLINICAL RESULTS TO DATE, AND DEVELOPING A CLINICAL PROTOCOL.