TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2017//
TI  - A retrospective review of rattlesnake bites in 100 children
JO  - Minerva Pediatrica
A1  - Sotelo-Cruz, Norberto
A1  - Gómez-Rivera, Norberto
SP  - 121
EP  - 128
VL  - 69
IS  - 2
N2  - BACKGROUND: A retrospective review of clinical features and treatment of children hospitalized for rattlesnake bite. <br><br>METHODS: One hundred clinical records were reviewed. Variables included: age, gender, season of the year, signs, symptoms, poisoning grade, complications, treatment and sequelae. <br><br>RESULTS: Fifty-nine percent were males and 37% were less than 5 years of age; 87% occurred in rural areas; 63% of the snakebites occurred during the summer, of them, 39% occurred within the perimeter of the domicile and 8% within the home. Sixty-seven percent of children bitten by snakes reached the second degree of envenomation. During the first period (1977-1996), treatment for intoxication included treatment with polyvalent equine anti-snake venom serum. During the second period (1997-2014, a polyvalent polyclonal horse anti-snake venom F(Ab) was used. The second period hospitalization time was reduced to 3.9 days (P<0.0001). Hematological complications dominated during the first period (P=0.093) with wound infections occurring in 26% of the cases, neurological symptoms in 24 %, fasciotomy in 6% and mortality in 1%. The second degree poisoning was more frequent and was more severe in 7% of the patients. It was determined that the best treatment for snakebite was F(Ab') 2 therapy. Mortality occurred in 1% of the cases. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Rattlesnake (Crotalus sp.) bite, in Mexico is less frequent as compared to other crotalidae species. The hematological complications are more frequent. We did not observe any recurrent phenomenons.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0026-4946
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.23736/S0026-4946.16.04226-2
ID  - ref1
ER  -