Suspected snakebite in children: a study of 156 patients over 10 years.
Abstract
To describe the epidemiology and clinical features of children presenting to an emergency department with suspected snakebite. A retrospective study of patient records. An emergency department of a children's teaching hospital (Princess Margaret Hospital) in Perth, Western Australia. All children attending the emergency department from 1984 to 1993 with suspected snakebite. Clinical and laboratory evidence of envenomation. Over the decade studied, 156 children (mean age, six years and eight months) presented with suspected snakebite; over two-thirds (68%) were boys. In at least 31% of cases, no appropriate first aid had been applied. Only 14 children were envenomed according to clinical and laboratory criteria: 10 of these had coagulopathy; one of the 10 also had rhabdomyolysis. A Venom Detection Kit was used in 117 children. The test gave a positive result in 21 children (13%). Antivenom was given to 18 children, 14 of whom were definitely envenomed. Four of the envenomed children returned a negative result of Venom Detection Kit testing at all sites tested, and in five patients not clinically envenomed the urine specimen tested positive with the Venom Detection Kit (presumably a false positive result or subclinical envenomati...Continue Reading
References
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Blood Clotting Disorders
Thrombophilia includes conditions with increased tendency for excessive blood clotting. Blood clotting occurs when the body has insufficient amounts of specialized proteins that make blood clot and stop bleeding. Here is the latest research on blood clotting disorders.