Journal of internal medicine
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European physicians may occasionally be confronted with cases of snake venom poisoning. The increasing interest in snakes as pets has unfortunately resulted in the importation of a number of venomous snakes. ⋯ The prolonged bleeding diathesis and the complete depletion of fibrinogen observed in our patient are consistent with the presence of a factor X activator in the venom, as has been described in a murine model. In agreement with the two previous case reports, we found no evidence of severe organ damage, despite active intravascular coagulation.