title: How not to train your dragon: a case of a Komodo dragon bite.
abstract: Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) are the world's largest lizards, known for killing prey that exceed their body mass. Reports of bites to humans in the popular press suggest high degrees of morbidity and mortality. Reports in the medical literature are lacking. We describe the case of a zookeeper who was bitten by a Komodo dragon, with a resultant mallet finger. We further discuss the various potential mechanisms of Komodo dragon lethality, including sepsis and venom deposition theories that are useful in guiding management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Medical Toxicology, Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA (Dr Borek). Electronic address: hab2t@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Heather A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Borek
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Medical Toxicology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA (Dr Charlton).
authors.forename: Nathan P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Charlton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008116:Lizards / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Komodo dragon; human bite; sepsis; venom