Intestinal ischemia after bushmaster (Lachesis muta) snakebite--a case report.
After a snakebite by the Costa Rican bushmaster Lachesis stenophrys, a 64-year-old patient developed cardiovascular shock and coagulopathy. After intensive care and antivenom treatment, he was discharged after 4 days but had to be hospitalised again 3 days later because of abdominal pain and bowel obstruction. An emergency laparotomy revealed a necrotic ileum and caecum, and an obstruction of the superior mesenteric artery. Until now, this type of intestinal ischemic complication after a snakebite has not been reported in the literature. The effects of bushmaster venom are discussed.
Rosenthal
R
R
Division of Surgery, Dornach Hospital, 4143 Dornach, Switzerland. rosenthal_r@hotmail.com
Meier
J
J
Koelz
A
A
Müller
C
C
Wegmann
W
W
Vogelbach
P
P
D000818:Animals; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D007422:Intestines / Q000473:pathology; D007511:Ischemia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012909:Snake Bites / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D017819:Viperidae / Q000502:physiology*