Resumen

MORENO, Edna; QUEIROZ-ANDRADE, Marcony; LIRA-DA-SILVA, Rejâne Maria  y  TAVARES-NETO, José. Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of snakebites in Rio Branco, Acre. Rev. Soc. Bras. Med. Trop. [online]. 2005, vol.38, n.1, pp. 15-21. ISSN 0037-8682.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0037-86822005000100004.

This study aimed to determine the clinical epidemiological profile of the snake bites attended at the reference hospital of Acre. One hundred-forty four patients were studied prospectively, from January to December 2002. One hundred-thirteen (78.5%) cases were classified as accidents by venomous snakes. The genera Bothrops, Lachesis and Micrurus were responsible, respectively, for 75.7%, 2.1% e 0.7% cases. The accidents predominated in males (78.5%), rural workers (51.4%) and between 10 and 29 years old (43.8%). The distribution according to the severity of poisoning by genera Bothrops was: moderate (48.6%), mild (31.2%) or severe (20.2%). Two cases of Bothrops accident did not receive serumtherapy. However, the antivenom was administered in twenty-three patients without envenoming. In conclusion, the results obtained were different of the observed by another authors with respect to the severity of accidents and suitable treatment.

Palabras llave : Snakebite; Human envenomation; Snake; Acre State.