Wound care of spider and snake envenomations

Venomous bites and stings are numerous but severe local tissue damage is uncommon. Venoms may be simple substances or complex mixtures of many poorly characterized components whose interactions are still not fully understood. The best studied example of a dermonecrotic venom is that produced by the brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa). Rattlesnake envenomation also causes significant wound injuries. Many spider and snake envenomation management modalities are controversial and the evidence is mounting against the use of a number of these treatments.