This study had the aim of ascertaining epidemiological and clinical differences in envenoming caused by Bothrops spp between elderly adults (>60 years) and non-elderly adults (20 to 59 years). The data were obtained from 1,930 medical records of patients attended at the Butantan Institute between 1981 and 1992. The greater the patient’s age was, the higher the frequency of bites on the hands rather than on the feet was (p < 0.05). A slightly higher percentage of the elderly patients (17%, versus 11% of the non-elderly group) were attended >12 hours after the bite (p < 0.05). Necrosis was more common among the elderly patients (p < 0.05) and renal failure was more common among patients aged 50 years or over (p < 0.05), in relation to younger patients. It was concluded that elderly individuals are more often bitten on the hands and less often on the feet, and that they develop local necrosis and renal failure more frequently than do younger individuals.
Bothrops; Snake bites; Envenoming; Elderly
