Citation

Thein CM, Byard RW. J. Forensic Leg. Med. 2019; 63: 52-55.

Affiliation

The University of Adelaide Medical School, Frome Road, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia; Forensic Science SA, 21 Divett Place, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia. Electronic address: roger.byard@sa.gov.au.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jflm.2019.03.005

PMID

30870725

Abstract

Clinical and pathological case files of lethal snakebites were reviewed from the XXXX, Magway, Myanmar, over a five-year period (January 2013 December 2017). A total of 2069 postmortem examinations were performed which included 84 cases of lethal snake bite (4.1%). The annual numbers ranged from 10 out of a total of 268 autopsies in 2013 (3.7%), to 31 out of a total of 501 autopsies in 2016 (6.2%). There were 54 males (64%) and 30 females (36%) (M:F = 1.9:1; age range 5-75yrs, mean 33yrs). The most common time for lethal envenomation was August (16/84-19%), the middle of the monsoon season. 45/84 (54%) had acute renal failure, 27/84 (32%) were shocked, and the remaining 12/84 (14%) had disseminated intravascular coagulation. Twenty cases (24%) died within 24 h after envenomation. Fang marks were identified on the legs (either right or left) in 73/84 cases (87%) and on the arms in five cases (6%). The predominant findings at autopsy were of acute renal injury (82/84-98%), pituitary haemorrhage/necrosis (36/84-43%), and adrenal gland haemorrhage (30/84-36%). Despite the reduction in fatalities over the years snakebite from Russell's viper in particular remains an important contributor to mortality in central Myanmar despite the availability of antivenom.

Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Language: en

Keywords

Death; Forensic; Myanmar; Russell's viper; Snakebite