Snakebites on Distal Extremities; Three Years of Experiences

Abstract

Background: Globally, 1.5 to 3 million people are exposed to snakebites each year. More than 100,000 of these cases, primarily in the tropics, result in death. This study includes an analysis of a university hospital's three-year experiences of distal extremity snakebites. Methods: This study includes 68 patients presented at the Emergency Department (ED) of Gaziantep University Hospital with snakebites on distal extremities (hands, fingers, and feet) between 01/03/2014 and 01/03/2017. Results: A total of 68 patients had wet snakebites on their distal extremities. Forty-seven patients (69%) were male, 21 (30.9%) were female, and the mean age was 43.03 ± 18.13 years. Snakebites most commonly occurred in September (26.5%, n = 18). Twenty-five (36.76%) patients had systemic symptoms (grades 2, 3, and 4). Also, 98.5% (n = 67) of patients received only antivenom therapy. Compartment syndrome was observed in one patient (1.5%), and this patient was treated with antivenom therapy and plasmapheresis. The most common local finding was pain (88.2%, n = 60). Also, 2.94 ± 2.5 vials of antivenom (range 0 - 10) were used per person on average, whereas the mean duration of hospitalization was 2.51 ± 1.5 (range 1 - 8) days. Conclusions: This study focused on hands, fingers, and feet because these parts can be protected (ie, preventing bites) by wearing shoes and protective gloves. Also, there was no mortality due to extremity snakebites. The most common long-term complications were paresthesia and movement limitation. It is recommended that high-risk populations (like agricultural laborers, nature travelers, and documentary teams) be taught appropriate first aid practices after snake bites.

Venomics and Peptidomics of Palearctic vipers: Clade-wide analysis of seven taxa of the generaVipera,Montivipera,MacroviperaandDaboiaacross Türkiye

“…The rich herpetofauna has more than ten venomous snake species, several of which with an unresolved taxonomic status 18,50,51 . Similar to tropical and subtropical regions, snakebite represents a major health burden in Türkiye, but the exact magnitude remains unclear due to the lack of comprehensive data [52][53][54] . Several studies address concrete numbers about snakebite envenoming in Türkiye, like Oto and Haspolat (2021) showed that in southeast regions alone 108 children has been hospitalized between 2006 and 2011, not including dry bites 55 .…”

Venomics and Peptidomics of Palearctic Vipers: A Clade-Wide Analysis of Seven Taxa of the Genera Vipera, Montivipera, Macrovipera, and Daboia across Türkiye

“…On the border between Europe and Asia, Türkiye represents a hotspot of snake diversity, hosting members of all four Palearctic viper genera. ,− Similar to tropical and subtropical regions, snakebite represents a major health burden in Türkiye, but the exact magnitude remains unclear due to the lack of comprehensive data. − Only a few studies address concrete numbers about snakebite envenoming in Türkiye. ,, While awareness of snakebite grows, the species responsible for a bite are often not known. It is therefore necessary to investigate the range of venomous snakes in the country and the extent to which their venoms are composed.…”