Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2024
Antivenom surveillance: An audit of antivenom stock within South Australia.
Antivenoms are important emergency medications to be held within Australia, particularly in regional and remote locations. We audited current antivenom holdings in hospitals and health services across South Australia (SA) and compared to recommendations in the 'Snakebite and Spiderbite Management Guidelines' from the State's Toxinology service. The process also assessed the feasibility of 'real-time' remote stock monitoring. ⋯ This audit has demonstrated a significant disparity between recommended and actual antivenom holdings across most sites in SA and has also revealed that 'real-time' remote monitoring of state antivenom holdings is not currently feasible. Correction of stock levels to that recommended may result in financial benefit for State Health while also addressing inequity in regional and remote healthcare provision.