Persistent hyponatraemia following suspected krait envenomation in a 5 year old Sri Lankan child: a case report

Krait bite (Bungarusc aeruelus) resulting in snake envenomation is a recognized cause of death in Sri Lanka [1]. It is known to cause paralytic respiratory failure and other neurological manifestations [1]. Hyponatraemia following krait envenomation has been reported in some studies [2, 3, 4]. However, there are only a few case reports of severe and persistent hyponatraemia following krait bite [3, 4]. Trint et al. reported hyponatremia (<130 mmol/ L) in 31 out of 42 patients envenomed by Malayan kraits [3]. Hojer et al. reported life threatening hyponatraemia following krait bite as a new syndrome in a young adult [2]. There are no cases reported from Sri Lanka of hyponatraemia following krait envenomation among adults or children.