Uso de torniquete em acídentes ofídicos na Amazônia Brasileira - série de casos

Abstract

Bothrops venom has toxins that are highly damaging to tissues. During poisoning, local clinical events such as pain, edema, localized bleeding, necrosis and myonecrosis, in addition to the risk of amputations and death. The treatment has been proven Effective in these cases is antivenin. However, low- and middle-income regions still have scarcity of specific treatment, in addition to the limitation of trained professionals for the victim support. The use of a tourniquet as an alternative means of poisoning is frequently used and in the literature it has pointed out the worsening of the accident during its use. In this report we describe four cases of poisoning by Bothrops atrox, recorded in the Brazilian Amazon. All cases occurred in men aged between 20 and 52 years old. The victims were residents of the municipalities of Novo Airão, Itacoatiara, São Sebastião do Rio Cuieiras and Manaus. In all accidents, antivenom was used. Bothrops, with three classified as severe cases and two as moderate. The time of arrival for medical care at the reference hospital for snakebites in the capital, Manaus, ranged from 2 to 18 hours. The hands and legs were the affected areas, possibly related to work activities, similar to other studies involving snakebites