Blood-thinning drug protects limbs from amputation after snake bites

Researchers from the University of Sydney have found that the blood-thinning drug heparin reduces the risk of tissue death that leads to amputation after a cobra bite.

In his research, researcher Tian Du and his colleagues exposed human skin and blood cells to the venom of two species of cobra from Africa: the red spitting cobra and the black spitting cobra, after successful trials on mice.

According to New Scientist, adding heparin, which is usually given as a blood-thinning drug, prevented the toxins from killing human cells.

Snake bites kill up to 138,000 people each year, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Another 400,000 people suffer complications, such as tissue death and subsequent amputation.

Scientists believe that heparin therapy may be effective for bites from various species of cobra, but it is unlikely to work for species other than cobras, unless their venom uses a similar chemical pathway to destroy cells. Unlike existing antivenoms, heparin is stable at room temperature, making it easy to access when rapid treatment is needed. This can be done via a self-administered injection, such as the EpiPen given to those with severe food allergies.