• Jae Seok Kim, Jae Won Yang, Min Soo Kim, Seung Tae Han, Bi Ro Kim, Myung Sang Shin, Jong In Lee, Byoung Geun Han, and Seung Ok Choi.
• Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea.
• Korean J. Intern. Med. 2008 Jun 1;23(2):94-9.

Background/AimsCoagulopathy is a common complication of snakebite, but there is little information on the clinical importance of coagulopathy. We analyzed the characteristics of coagulopathy after envenomation.MethodsNinety-eight patients who experienced snakebite were enrolled in this study. We divided all the patients into three groups by the ISTH DIC scoring system: the normal, simple coagulopathy and DIC groups. The coagulopathy group included both the simple coagulopathy and DIC groups. We then conducted a case-control study.ResultsThere was a significant decrease in the Hct, protein, albumin, ALP and cholesterol levels in the coagulopathy group, and only the cholesterol level was deceased in the DIC group (0<0.05). Leukocytosis and rhabdomyolysis were significantly associated with coagulopathy, and hemolysis and rhabdomyolysis were associated with DIC (p<0.05). The presence of rhabdomyolysis was considered a risk factor for coagulopathy (p<0.05). These conditions continued for up to six to seven days after the snakebite.ConclusionsEvaluation of coagulopathy with using these characteristics is helpful to properly manage the patients who experience snakebite.

18 keywords...

hide…