Treating other effects of envenomation

Papuan taipans (Oxyuranus scutellatus canni), death adders (Acanthophis spp.) and Papuan blacksnakes (Pseudechis papuanus) are the most dangerous snakes along the Papuan coastline. Although the Papuan blacksnake is rare, the Papuan taipan is very common in parts of Milne Bay, Central, Gulf and Western provinces, and is the commonest venomous snake implicated in cases of snakebite. Deaths adders are widespread throughout mainland Papua New Guinea. The small-eyed snake (Micropechis ikaheka), brown snake (Pseudonaja cf textilis) and mulga snake (Pseudechis cf. australis) are also considered dangerous, but the incidence of bites by these snakes is not high and we know relatively little about them because not many studies have been done on these snakes in Papua New Guinea. Therefore, this section will mostly cover the effects of bites associated with the first three snakes. We will discuss the following effects: