Citation

Madey JJ, Price AB, Dobson JV, Stickler DE, McSwain SD. Pediatr. Emerg. Care 2013; 29(11): 1213-1216.

Affiliation

From the *Department of Neurosciences and Divisions of †Pediatric Emergency Medicine, and ‡Pediatric Critical Care, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/PEC.0b013e3182aa472f

PMID

24196093

Abstract

The timber rattlesnake, also known as Crotalus horridus, is well known to cause significant injury from toxins stored within its venom. During envenomation, toxic systemic effects immediately begin to cause damage to many organ systems including cardiovascular, hematologic, musculoskeletal, respiratory, and neurologic. One defining characteristic of the timber rattlesnake is a specific neurotoxin called crotoxin, or the "canebrake toxin," which is a potent β-neurotoxin affecting presynaptic nerves that can cause paralysis by inhibiting appropriate neuromuscular transmission. We present an unusual case of an 8-year-old boy bitten twice on his calf by a timber rattlesnake, who presented with a life-threatening envenomation and suffered multisystem organ failure as well as a prominent presynaptic neurotoxicity resulting in facial diplegia, pharyngeal paralysis, and ophthalmoplegia.

Language: en