Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Pit Viper Envenomation: Prospective, Controlled Trial

The efficacy of prophylactic antibiotics for preventing infectious complications at the site of pit viper envenomation has not been well studied. We undertook a prospective, controlled trial of antibiotic treatment versus no antibiotic treatment among 114 victims of crotalid envenomation in Ecuador&...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:World journal of surgery 1997-05, Vol.21 (4), p.369-373
Main Authors: Kerrigan, Kevin R., Mertz, Bruce L., Nelson, Stephen J., Dye, James D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abscess - prevention & control
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Animals
Antibiotic Prophylaxis
Antibiotic Treatment
Child
Child, Preschool
Chloramphenicol
Chloramphenicol - administration & dosage
Crotalus
Drug Therapy, Combination - therapeutic use
Ecuador
Female
Gentamicin
Gentamicins - administration & dosage
Humans
Infectious Complication
Male
Middle Aged
Prospective Studies
Snake Bites - drug therapy
Treatment Outcome
Untreated Patient
Viper Venoms
Wound Infection - prevention & control
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Summary:The efficacy of prophylactic antibiotics for preventing infectious complications at the site of pit viper envenomation has not been well studied. We undertook a prospective, controlled trial of antibiotic treatment versus no antibiotic treatment among 114 victims of crotalid envenomation in Ecuador's Amazon rain forest. A group of 59 patients received intravenous gentamicin and chloramphenicol, and 55 patients did not. All other aspects of care were identical. There were no statistically significant differences between antibiotic‐treated and untreated patients with regard to demographics, delay in treatment, clinical and laboratory evidence of severity of envenomation, or use of antivenin. Nine abscesses occurred, six in the antibiotic‐treated group and three in the untreated group. The results of this study did not show any statistically significant differences in outcome in terms of the number of abscesses that occurred between antibiotic‐treated and untreated patients. Based on this lack of differences, routine use of prophylactic antibiotics for prevention of infectious complications of crotalid envenomation cannot be recommended.
ISSN:0364-2313
1432-2323
DOI:10.1007/PL00012255