Performance of the 20-minute whole blood clotting test in detecting venom induced consumption coagulopathy from Russell's viper (Daboia russelii) bites.
The 20-minute whole blood clotting test (WBCT20) is used as a bedside diagnostic test for coagulopathic snake envenoming. We aimed to assess the performance of the WBCT20 in diagnosis of venom induced consumption coagulopathy (VICC) in Russell's viper envenoming. Adult patients admitted with suspected snake bites were recruited from two hospitals. WBCT20 and prothrombin time (PT) test were performed on admission. WBCT20 was done by trained clinical research assistants using 1 ml whole blood in a 5 ml borosilicate glass tube with a 10 mm internal diameter. The PT was measured by a semi-automated coagulation system and international normalised ratio (INR) calculated. VICC was defined as present if the INR was >1.4. The diagnostic utility of WBCT20 was determined by calculating the sensitivity and specificity of the WBCT20 on admission for detecting VICC. There were 987 snake bites where both WBCT20 and PT were done on admission samples. This included 79 patients (8 %) with VICC. The WBCT20 was positive in 65/79 patients with VICC (sensitivity 82 %; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 72-90 %) and was falsely positive in 13/908 with no coagulopathy. The WBCT20 was negative in 895/908 snake bites with no coagulopathy (specificity: 98 % 95 % CI: 97-99 %) and was falsely negative in 14/79 with VICC. Using trained clinical staff, the WBCT20 test had a relatively good sensitivity for the detection of VICC, but still missed almost one fifth of cases where antivenom was potentially indicated.
Indira
I
Ratnayake
Fathima
F
Shihana
Dhammika M
DM
Dissanayake
Nicholas A
NA
Buckley
Kalana
K
Maduwage
Geoffrey K. Isbister, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, c/o Calvary Mater Newcastle, Edith Street, Waratah NSW 2298, Australia, Tel.: +612 4921 1211, Fax: +612 4921 1870, E-mail: geoff.isbister@gmail.com.
Geoffrey K
GK
Isbister
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D000997:Antivenins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017840:Daboia; D012909:Snake Bites / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013188:Sri Lanka; D013997:Time Factors; D014757:Viper Venoms; D014914:Whole Blood Coagulation Time / Q000592:standards; D055815:Young Adult
D000997:Antivenins; D014757:Viper Venoms
Snake venoms; acquired coagulation disorders; diagnosis management