TM5582 - Tropical Toxinology

[Not offered in 2023]

Every alternate year commencing 2014.

This subject will provide students with the knowledge of how and why marine and land organisms use venoms (venom ecology) as well as how venoms operate in envenomed prey, predators or human victims. The subject will describe the relevant first aid and clinical management practices that should be employed to maximise a victims' survival as well as outline the current controversies in this area. The subject will explore the public health approaches that can be implemented to reduce exposure to venoms. Students will also acquire skills in laboratory procedures used to compare lethality of different venoms, venom composition and venom collection. At the end of this subject, students will be able to demonstrate current best practice to reduce envenomation in developed and developing countries.

There are additional charges for this subject; please contact the School for details.

Learning Outcomes

• Apply advanced integrated knowledge on the ecology of venomous organisms;
• Demonstrate the correct first aid treatments for victims envenomed by organisms in the field;
• Discriminate the differences between venoms used by organisms and mechanisms employed by organisms in introduce venoms to victims;
• Interpret and present the clinical syndromes associated with envenoming by the different venomous creatures to professional and non-professional audiences;
• Use expert judgment to formulate a treatment plan for an envenomed patient and critically analyse the best practice public health responses to reduce the risk of humans to envenomation.

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.