This document summarizes various animal-derived poisons, including snakes, scorpions, bees/wasps, centipedes, lizards, spiders, and ants. It describes the types of venom or toxins produced by each animal, common symptoms of envenomation, and recommended first aid and medical treatment. Autopsy findings related to different animal envenomations are also mentioned. The document emphasizes that traditional or improper first aid methods for snake bites should be avoided and only compression bandages or splints are recommended along with rapid medical care.

1. Poisons Of Animal Origin
Dr. Priyal Jain, Post Graduate
Deptt. Forensic Medicine
UCMS & GTBH Delhi

2.  Snakes
 Scorpions
 Bees & Wasps
 Centipedes
 Lizards
 Spiders
 Ants
 Canthrides

3. Snake
 Elapidae / Colubridae
 Viperines / Viperidae
 Hydrophidae

4.  A village person age about 44 yrs
brought to casualty with alleged
history of snake bite.
 Attendant killed offending snake and
brought to casualty.

5. Fangs

6. Snake Bite
Dry bite ;- 20%, up to 75%
Venom Apparatus
Venom glands + maxillary
Teeth(fangs)
Venom
Hemorrhagins
Proteolytic Enzymes
Myocardial Depressant
Neurotoxins
Severity
Site, Time, Clothing, Season, Species.

7. Cobra / Naja Naja

8. King Cobra / Naja Bangarus

9. Common Krait / Bungarus
caeruleus

10. Banded Krait / Bungarus
Fasciatus

11. Symptoms
 Mainly Neurotoxic
 15 – 30 min
 30 – 60 min.
 1 – 2 hrs
 Fatal dose 12-15 mg C , 5-6 mg Krait

12. Viper

13. Symptoms
 Mainly Vesculotoxic
 Fatal dose 15 – 20 mg
 Fatal period 2 – 4 days.

14. Sea Snake

15. Symptoms
 Mainly Myotoxic

16. Treatment
 First Aid
“Do it R.I.G.H.T.”
R. Reassure the patient
I Immobilise in the same way as a fractured limb. Use
bandages or cloth to hold the splints, not to block the
blood supply or apply pressure. Do not apply any
compression in the form of tight ligatures, they don’t
work and can be dangerous!
G. H. Get to Hospital Immediately. Traditional remedies
have NO PROVEN benefit in treating snakebite.
T Tell the doctor of any systemic symptoms such as
ptosis that manifest on the way to hospital.

17. Traditional Methods To Be
Discard
 Tourniquets
 Cutting and Suction
 Washing the Wound
 Electrical Therapy and Cryotherapy
 Pressure Immobilization Method (PIM)

18. Snake Bite Treatment Protocol
 Patient Assessment Phase: On arrival.
Pain
Handling Tourniquets
 Diagnosis Phase: Investigations
 20 Minute Whole Blood Clotting Test

19. Other Useful Tests depending on availability
􀀻 Haemoglobin/ PCV/ Platelet Count/ PT/
APTT/ FDP/ D-Dimer
Peripheral Smear
Urine Tests for Proteinuria/ RBC/
Haemoglobinuria/ Myoglobinuria
Biochemistry for Serum Creatinine/ Urea/
Potassium
Oxygen Saturation/ PR/BP/ RR/ Postural
Blood Pressure, ECG

20.  Cobra Krait R. Viper S.S.Viper H.N.Viper
 Local Pain/ Tissue Damage YES NO YES YES
YES
 Ptosis/ Neurological Signs YES YES YES! NO NO
 Haemostatic abnorma liies NO NO! YES YES
YES
 Renal Complications NO NO YES NO YES
 Response to Neostigmine YES NO? NO? NO NO

21. ASV Administration Criteria
 Systemic Envenoming
 Evidence of coagulopathy: Primarily
detected by 20WBCT or visible
spontaneous systemic bleeding, gums etc.
 Evidence of neurotoxicity: ptosis, external
ophthalmoplegia, muscle paralysis inability
to lift the head etc.

22.  Severe Current Local envenoming
 Severe current, local swelling involving
more than half of the bitten limb (in the
absence of a tourniquet). In the case of
severe swelling after bites on the
digits(toes and especially fingers ) after a
bite from a known necrotic species.
 rapid extension of swelling ( for example
beyond the wrist or ankle within a few
hours of bites on the hands or feet).
Swelling a number of hours old is
nogrounds for giving ASV.

23. Dose And Route
 Neurotoxic/ Anti Haemostatic 8-10 Vials
 Children receive the same dose as adults B/c
it is to neutralize venom which is same
amount in both.
 1. Intravenous Injection: reconstituted or liquid
ASV is administered by slow intravenous injection.
(2ml/ min) each vvial is 10ml of reconstituents.
 2. Infusion: liquid or reconstituted ASV is diluted in
5-10ml/kg of isotonic saline or glucose.
 All AVS over 1 hr in constant speed.

24. Neurotoxic Envenomation
 In neurotoxic envenomation neostigmine test is
done with 1.5 -2.0 mg of neostigmine IM, together
with 0.6mg of atropine IV.
 The paediatric neostigmine dose is 0.04mg/kg IM
and the dose of atropine in 0.05mg /kg.
 Observe victim for 1 hour.
 If the victim responds to the neostigmine test then
continue with 0.5mg of neostigmine IM ½ hourly
plus 0.6 mg of atropin IV over 8 hrs in continuous
infusion.
 If there is no improvement in symptoms after one
hour, the neostigmine should be stopped.

25. Autopsy findins
 Fang mark 1.2 cm deep , 2.5 cm deep
 Froth in mouth & nostrils
 Changes in Nissle granules in brain
matter, acute granular degeneration of
medula
 Evidence of hemorrhage in
git, cerebrum, respiratory and urinary
tract, serosal surfaces of organs, sub
endocardial hemorrhage, regional
lymphadenitis.
 Venom Extraction From

27. Medico- Legal Importance
 Accidental ; Most common
 Suicidal ; Queen Cleopetra
 Homicidal; Hannibal & Antiochus
defeated Romans in a naval battle.
 Cattle Poison.

28. Scorpion

29. Scorpion venom
 clear and colourless toxalbumin that is
more toxic than the snake venom
The small quantity of venom is
injected.
The scorpion venom consists of a
neurotoxin,haemolysins, proteinases,
phospholipase
A,leucocytolysin, coagulins,cholestrin
and lecithin.

30. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
 site of a wheal is having a red wheal with a
hole in the centre and severe burning pain
radiates from the site.
 The area is swollen, reddened .
 Increased temperature with chills and
headache.
 There is feeling of giddiness and fainting.
 Excessive sweating and salivation
 Muscular cramps and convulsions followed
by unconsciousness.
 Paresis and muscular weakness persists

31. TREATMENT
 Application of tourniquet or pressure bandage above
the site of bite and incising and washing the bitten
area with weak solution of potassium
permagnate, borax or ammonia.
 The torniquet should be loosened for 1-2 minutes
after every 10-15 minutes.
 Local infiltration of 5%cocaine, or lignocaine solution
in and around the bite relieves pain.
 To treat shock, 5% of 500ml of dextrose saline should
be given i.v along with glucocorticoids
 i.m.calcium gluconate 10 ml of 10% solution should
be given intravenously to combat muscular cramps.
 To prevent pulmonary oedema, atropine sulphate
should be administered

32. Autopsy Findings

33. Bee & Wasps

34.  Produce a painful local reaction, which recedes
with time.
 An allergic phenomenon produced by them may kill
the patient because of prior sensitization.
Number of stings may be so great or the patient is so
young as to be killed with primary toxicity.
Signs and symptoms:
 Nausea and vomiting
 Thoracic compression
 Cardiac irregularities
 Pulmonary oedema
 Nephrosis
 Cyanosis, convulsions and death.
The fatalities may result a short while after the
infliction of stings.

35. Anaphylaxis
 Symptoms
 Treatment
 Autopsy Findings

36. Centepedes

37.  Local swelling,excruciatin pain and
necrosis, paralysis and contracture of
extremities, cardiac
irregularities, arthritis and meningism
may occur.symptoms subside in 2to 3
days

38. Lizards

39. Spiders

40. Brown Recluse Spider/
Loxasceles reclusa
 Protease, esterrase, other enzymes
 Sphyngomyelinase B bind to cell
membrane
causes neutrophilic chemotaxis
 Vascular thrombosis 7 Arthus like
reaction.
 Fever, nausea, vomiting, arthralgia
 Hemolytic anemia, ARF.
Treatment;- supportive except YES to
Dapsone & NO to Glucocorticoids

41. Widow Spider/ Letrodactus
mactans
 Buttocks / genitals
 2 small red marks
 Alpha latrotoxin leads to release of
neurotrnsmitters
 Antivenom available
 Indication;- respiratory
arrest, pregnancy, seizures
 Rest treatment is symptomaic.

42. Marine Envenomation
 Invertebrates
hydroids, fire coral, jelly
fish, portuguese man-of-war, sea
anemones.
Cnidocytes ;- stinging cells
Cnidea ;- intacytoplasmic stinging
organ

43. Symptoms
 Burning, pruritis, parasthesia,
 Redened, darkened, edematous.
 Neurological, cardiovascular, G.I., Renal
, Ocular.
 Anaphylaxis.

44. Treatment
 Application of Vinegar(5% a.a.)
 Rubbing alcohol, baking soda, lime
juice, papain.
 Aneasthetic ointments/ antihistaminic
cream/steroid lotions
 Morphine

45.  Sea urchins;-
Hollow, venom filled, calcified spines
hemolysin, proteases, serotonins,
cholinergic substances.
Pain
If spine is retained near vital structure
than chances of granuloma formation
which should get operated.

46. Cone shells
 Predator carnivorous mollusks.
 Neurotoxic venom delivered through
harpoon like darts.
 Wound, perioral, generalised parasthesia.
 In severe condition Bulbar Dysfunction &
Systemic Muscular Paralysis.

47. Australian Blue Ringed
Octopus
 Neurotoxin (maculotoxin) Na channel
blockage leads to peripheral nerve
transmisson inhibit.
 Oral & facial numbness to total flaccid
palsy.

48. Vertebrates
 Stingray ;- envenomation + traumatic
wound
 Venom –
serotonin, phosphodiesterase, 5`nucleoti
dase.
 Pain, Soft tissue swelling
 Weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,
hypotension, syncope, paralysis & death.
 Scorpion Fish ;- same as of stingray.
Stonefish, Scorpionfish, lionfish,
 Cat fish ;- same as of stingray.

49. Treatment
 Hot water immersion
 No to cryotherapy
 Pain killer,
 Inj. T.T.
 Antivenom for stonefish & serious
scorpion fish .
 Other supportive care.

50. Mammals

51. Ornithorhynchus
anatinus
• The venom apparatus is only
present in malesa
•Crural gland only secretes
venom in breeding season
• The use of the venom
apparatus is probably related to
combat with other males for
territory or females.

52. Slow Loris
Nycticebus coucang

53. Venomous and Poisonous
Primate?
Nycticebus coucang
Nycticebus coucang inhabits the
rainforests of southeast
Asia, Assam, Burma, Thailand, Indo
-China, certain Malayan states and
East Indian Islands.
• They have a brachial organ, a naked, gland-laden area of skin on surface
of the arm that is licked during grooming.
• When mixed with saliva, the toxin can repel some predators.
• Anaphylaxis has been observed following loris bites.
• N. coucang braAchial organ protein acts as an allergen.

55. Thank You