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Intestinal ischemia after bushmaster (Lachesis muta) snakebite--a case report
R Rosenthal1, J Meier, A Koelz
1Division of Surgery, Dornach Hospital, 4143 Dornach, Switzerland. rosenthal_r@hotmail.com
Abstract:
After a snakebite by the Costa Rican bushmaster Lachesis stenophrys, a 64-year-old patient developed cardiovascular shock and coagulopathy. After intensive care and antivenom treatment, he was discharged after 4 days but had to be hospitalised again 3 days later because of abdominal pain and bowel obstruction. An emergency laparotomy revealed a necrotic ileum and caecum, and an obstruction of the superior mesenteric artery. Until now, this type of intestinal ischemic complication after a snakebite has not been reported in the literature. The effects of bushmaster venom are discussed.