Citation

Tambwe MJ, Lalloo V, Engelbrecht A, Pelle P. S. Afr. Fam. Pract. (2004) 2021; 63(1): e1-e5.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.4102/safp.v63i1.5299

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The boomslang (Dipholidus typus) has a predominantly haemotoxic venom. Because of the consumptive nature of the coagulopathy, signs and symptoms are usually delayed by up to 72 h after the bite. Traditional laboratory coagulation assays have a long turnaround time, by which time the patient's bleeding and clotting profile has changed. A 25-year-old male patient was bitten by a boomslang. Despite two normal laboratory coagulation assay results, a point-of-care rotational thromboelastometry showed low fibrinogen levels, leading to the administration of monovalent antivenom. This report highlights the value of point-of-care thromboelastometry in the care of patients with subclinical boomslang envenomation.

Language: en

Keywords

boomslang bite; haemotoxic envenomation; monovalent antivenom; rotational; snake bite; thromboelastometry (ROTEM)