Epidemiological and Clinical Aspects of Snakebites in Monagas State, Venezuela

Abstract: One hundred fifty-eight patients bitten by venomous snakes were retrospectively studied at Manuel Nuñez Tovar Hospital, Monagas state, Venezuela, from January 1990 to December 1999. Most of these patients were rural workers: 124 (78%) males and 34 (22%) females, ranging in ages from one to over sixty. One hundred and five (67%) patients were diagnosed as bitten by Bothrops and 53 (33%) by Crotalus snakes. One hundred twenty-one (76%) were bitten in the legs and 37 (24%) in the arms. January, April, May, September, October, November and December were the months of higher incidence of bothropic envenomations, while crotalic envenomations were March, August and December. This study showed that the prevalence of crotalic envenomations in the Monagas state was higher compared to other states in the country. Additional prospective epidemiological studies are needed for a better understanding of these findings.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Navarro,J, Caraballo,A, Sánchez,E, Pérez,JC, Rodriguez-Acosta,A
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Universidad Central de Venezuela. Facultad de Medicina. Comisión de Publicaciones de la Facultad de Medicina 2003
Online Access:http://ve.scielo.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0798-04692003000200005
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!