• Chih-Po Hsu, Jung-Fang Chuang, Yu-Pao Hsu, Shang-Yu Wang, Chih-Yuan Fu, Kuo-Ching Yuan, Chih-Hao Chen, Shih-Ching Kang, and Chien-Hung Liao.
• Department of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, 5 Fu-Hsing Street, Kwei-Shan Shiang, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
• Scand J Trauma Resus. 2015 Jan 1; 23: 97.

BackgroundTo identify the factors associated with the development of post-snakebite compartment syndrome (PSCS) in snakebite patients and to analyze the clinical prognosis of these patients.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who presented to our institution with snakebites from March 2009 to December 2012. The clinical data, hospital course and outcome were all recorded.ResultsA total of 136 patients were included in the present study. Nine patients developed PSCS and underwent fasciotomy. Relative to the non-PSCS group, the PSCS group demonstrated a significant increase in the white blood cell count (WBC, p = 0.006), segment form (Seg, p ≤ 0.001), aspartate aminotransferase level (AST, p = 0.002) and alanine aminotransferase level (ALT, p = 0.008). Elevated WBC count and AST level were identified as independent risk factors for PSCS (p = 0.028 and 0.037, respectively) in a multivariate analysis.ConclusionsSnakebite patients have a high likelihood of developing locoregional complications such as PSCS. Symptomatic snakebite patients should be observed for at least 48 h, and increased WBC counts and AST levels are risk factors for PSCS.

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