Editing Australian funnel-web spider (section)

===Treatment===
Owing to the severity of symptoms, and the speed with which they progress, in areas where these spiders are known to live, all bites from large, black spiders should be treated as though they were caused by Australian funnel-web spiders. First-aid<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-09-22 |title=The Funnel-web Spider: Australia's Most Dangerous Arachnid |url=https://www.australiawidefirstaid.com.au/resources/funnel-web-spider |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=Australia Wide First Aid |language=en}}</ref> treatment for a suspected Australian funnel-web spider bite consists of immediately applying a [[Pressure immobilisation technique|pressure immobilization]]<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2014-03-06 |title=Pressure Immobilisation Technique |url=https://www.australiawidefirstaid.com.au/resources/pressure-immobilisation-technique |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=Australia Wide First Aid |language=en}}</ref> bandage; a technique which consists of wrapping the bitten limb with a crepe bandage, as well as applying a [[Splint (medicine)|splint]] to limit movement of the limb. This technique was originally developed for [[snakebite]]s, but has also been shown to be effective at slowing venom movement and preventing systemic envenomation in case of an Australian funnel-web spider bite. Some evidence suggests that periods of prolonged localisation may slowly inactivate the venom.<ref name="UoS" /><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Sutherland S, Duncan A | title = New first-aid measures for envenomation: with special reference to bites by the Sydney funnel-web spider (''Atrax robustus'') | journal = Med J Aust | volume = 1 | issue = #8 | pages = 378–9 | year = 1980 | pmid = 6771503| doi = 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1980.tb134931.x | s2cid = 24213819 }}</ref>

Further supportive care may be necessary, but the mainstay of treatment is antivenom. Venom from the male Sydney funnel-web spider (''A. robustus'') is used in producing the antivenom, but it appears to be effective against the venom of all species of atracids.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Graudins A, Wilson D, Alewood P, Broady K, Nicholson G | title = Cross-reactivity of Sydney funnel-web spider antivenom: neutralization of the ''in vitro'' toxicity of other Australian funnel-web (''Atrax'' and ''Hadronyche'') spider venoms | journal = Toxicon | volume = 40 | issue = #3 | pages = 259–66 | year = 2002 | pmid = 11711122 | doi = 10.1016/S0041-0101(01)00210-0| bibcode = 2002Txcn...40..259G }}</ref> Australian funnel-web spider antivenom has also been shown, ''in vitro'', to reverse the effects of eastern [[mouse spider]] (''Missulena bradleyi'') venom.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Rash L, Birinyi-Strachan L, Nicholson G, Hodgson W | title = Neurotoxic activity of venom from the Australian eastern mouse spider (''Missulena bradleyi'') involves modulation of sodium channel gating | journal = Br J Pharmacol | volume = 130 | issue = #8 | pages = 1817–24 | year = 2000 | pmid = 10952670 | pmc = 1572261 | doi = 10.1038/sj.bjp.0703494}}</ref>

Before the introduction of antivenom, envenomation resulted in significant morbidity and mortality.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Isbister G, Graudins A, White J, Warrell D | title = Antivenom treatment in arachnidism | journal = J Toxicol Clin Toxicol | volume = 41 | issue = #3 | pages = 291–300 | year = 2003 | pmid = 12807312 | doi = 10.1081/CLT-120021114| s2cid = 37946164 }}</ref> The purified rabbit [[Immunoglobulin G|IgG]] antivenom was developed in 1981 through a team effort led by Dr. [[Struan Sutherland]], head of immunology at the [[CSL Limited|Australian Commonwealth Serum Laboratories]] in [[Melbourne]].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Fisher M, Raftos J, McGuinness R, Dicks I, Wong J, Burgess K, Sutherland S | title = Funnel-web spider (''Atrax robustus'') antivenom. 2. Early clinical experience | journal = Med J Aust | volume = 2 | issue = #10 | pages = 525–6 | year = 1981 | pmid = 7321948| doi = 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1981.tb112973.x }}</ref> The antivenom is fast-acting and highly and globally effective.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Hartman L, Sutherland S | title = Funnel-web spider (''Atrax robustus'') antivenom in the treatment of human envenomation | journal = Med J Aust | volume = 141 | issue = #12–13 | pages = 796–9 | year = 1984| pmid = 6503783| doi = 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1984.tb132953.x | s2cid = 22059048 }}</ref> Antivenom therapy has shortened the course of envenomation effects; prior to its availability, the average length of hospital treatment for severe bites was about 14 days. Today, antivenom-treated patients are commonly discharged from hospital within one to three days.<ref name="ClinExp2002-Nicholson"/> No deaths are known since it became available.<ref name="MJA2005-Isbister"/>