title: [Pre-hospital treatment of ophidian accidents: review, update, and current problems].
abstract: Mythic, out-dated, ambiguous and sometimes iatrogenic procedures, still remain in pre-hospital and hospital ophidian accident treatment. Errors, omissions and ignorance make ophidian accidents appear more dangerous than they truly are, resulting in a general public contempt toward snakes. Here we present an updated review of current knowledge on pre-hospital and hospital treatment of ophidian bite incidents, including indications, recommendations and logic errors. We describe an appropriate treatment for native Mexican poisonous snakebites using fabotherapics, based on our experience. Adequate initial pre-hospital and hospital management is crucial for a successful outcome of this medical emergency. We describe the state of the art in snake bite research discussing those procedures where research is needed to implement them either by the patient, first responders, paramedics and doctors. We suggest proposals to achieve even more efficient management of fabotherapics based on support networks. Finally, we emphasize prevention as the main subject of venom bite treatment, as it is always more adequate and economic to invest in prevention than to spend on mitigation during emergency and recovery.
authors: Departamento de Prevención de Riesgos de la Dirección General de Divulgación de la Ciencia (DGDC), Universum, Museo de las Ciencias de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, México, D.F. ggil@universum.unam.mx
authors: Guillermo
authors: G
authors: Gil-Alarcón
authors: María Del Carmen
authors: Mdel C
authors: Sánchez-Villegas
authors: Víctor
authors: V
authors: Hugo Reynoso
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000997:Antivenins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D006801:Humans; D012909:Snake Bites / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000997:Antivenins