Severe Bushmaster Snakebite Envenoming: Case Report and Overview
Unlike the well-documented bothropic and crotalid snakebites in Brazil, lachetic envenomings (i.e., triggered by the bushmaster snake) are rare and present significant diagnostic challenges. This case describes a severe envenoming induced by a Lachesis muta snake in a 26-year-old Brazilian man who w...
| Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Status: | Published version |
| Publication Date: | 2024 |
| Country: | Brasil |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) |
| Repository: | Repositório Institucional da UNESP |
| Language: | English |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:repositorio.unesp.br:11449/300650 |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/reports7030068 https://hdl.handle.net/11449/300650 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | snakebite envenoming Lachesis Roraima infection amputation |
| Summary: | Unlike the well-documented bothropic and crotalid snakebites in Brazil, lachetic envenomings (i.e., triggered by the bushmaster snake) are rare and present significant diagnostic challenges. This case describes a severe envenoming induced by a Lachesis muta snake in a 26-year-old Brazilian man who was bitten near a forest in November 2022. Characteristic symptoms such as sweating and bradycardia pointed towards lachetic envenoming, but initial misdiagnosis as a bothropic bite resulted in a delay in appropriate antivenom therapy. Despite later receiving the correct treatment, the severity of the envenoming necessitated the amputation of a finger and triggered a severe infection. This report highlights the challenges of diagnosing and treating Lachesis spp. bites due to their rarity. Moreover, an overview of lachetic-induced signs and symptoms was explored. This study emphasizes that further reports are warranted to improve understanding of Lachesis muta envenoming and to optimize treatment strategies. |
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