Estabilidad de la actividad neutralizante del antiveneno ofídico conservado a 4°C y 16°C contra el veneno de tayas (complejo Bothrops atrox-asper) de Colombia

Abstract

Neutralisation of the lethal activity of various batches of liquid antivenom maintained in complete darkness at 4°C and 16°C respectively, produced by the lnstituto Nacional de Salud, were studied. The venoms used to challenge the antivenoms came from a mixture of the complex Bothrops asper-atrox, obtained from different geographical regions of Colombia. The protection is given as the percentage of neutralisation remaining for each batch per year at a given storage temperature, in order to confirm the expiry date of the liquid product. The results of the study show that when the antivenoms are kept at 4-C and in the dark, after three (3) years of storage, they maintain almost the totality of their neutralisation power (95%). Where as, the antivenom stored at 16º C and in the dark, after two (2) years, has a neutralisation power of 87 per cent, therefore we recommend that the product, maintained under the conditions referred to for two (2) years, should be discarded.