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Cryotherapy as a coadjuvant in crotaline snakebite management with F(ab')2 antivenom: A randomized pilot study
Miguel Antonio Canul-Caamal1, Jesús Del Carmen Madrigal-Anaya1, Rodolfo Pastelin-Palacios2
1Servicio de Toxicología Clínica, Hospital Juárez de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
Complementary Therapies in Medicine
|November 13, 2020
Summary
Local cryotherapy combined with F(ab')2 antivenom therapy for snakebite significantly reduced hospital stays and the amount of antivenom needed. This cryotherapy approach offers a promising coadjuvant treatment for snakebite patients.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Emergency Medicine
- Clinical Pharmacology
Background:
- Local cryotherapy reduces inflammation via vasoconstriction.
- The efficacy of cryotherapy as an adjunct to F(ab")2 antivenom for snakebite is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of local cryotherapy as a coadjuvant in snakebite patients receiving F(ab")2 antivenom therapy.
Main Methods:
- Patients with Grade II snakebite envenomation were divided into two groups.
- One group received F(ab")2 antivenom plus local cryotherapy; the control group received only F(ab")2 antivenom.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in edema, swelling, or pain were observed between groups.
- The cryotherapy group experienced shorter hospital stays (p < 0.01) and required fewer F(ab")2 antivenom doses (p = 0.03).
Conclusions:
- Local cryotherapy is an effective coadjuvant treatment for snakebite.
- This approach can decrease hospital length of stay and reduce the quantity of F(ab")2 antivenom required.
