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Acute renal failure and coagulopathy after snakebite
Author(s) -
White Julian,
Fassett Robert
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1983.tb122366.x
Subject(s) - coagulopathy , envenomation , antivenom , medicine , consumptive coagulopathy , anesthesia , surgery , venom , biology , ecology
A non‐fatal case of acute renal failure with associated coagulopathy after envenomation by a western brown snake (Pseudonaja nuchalis) is described. The coagulopathy did not respond to the initial administration of polyvalent antivenom, but resolved rapidly after later infusion of large doses of specific antivenom. The renal failure necessitated haemodialysis for 12 days and then resolved completely. There were no signs of neurotoxic envenomation. Other Australian cases of snakebite associated with renal failure or coagulopathy are reviewed. An adequate dose of the correct antivenom, and infusion of fresh frozen plasma if indicated, is the best treatment of coagulopathy after snakebite.