Tongue viability after snakebite—an unusual occupational hazard

• Published in: The American journal of emergency medicine 2007-11, Vol.25 (9), p.1083.e5-1083.e7
• Main Authors: Kao, Ta-Lun, MD, Juan, Chi-Wen, MD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amputation; Animals; Ankle; Antivenins - therapeutic use; Edema; Elapidae; Emergency; Emergency medical care; Fatalities; Humans; Lymphatic system; Male; Middle Aged; Mortality; Neurotoxicity; Occupational Diseases - drug therapy; Occupational Diseases - etiology; Snake Bites; Tongue - injuries; Veins & arteries; Venom
• ISSN: 0735-6757; 1532-8171
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2007.02.047

The tongue possesses rich blood supply that provides a resistance to necrosis, allows lacerations to heal quickly, and offers these patients the potential for tongue preservation. [...]tongue snakebite damage rapidly respond to polyvalent snake antivenom, avoiding tongue amputation and dumbness sequelae. According to the 43 patient studies from the Poison Control Center, Taiwan-China, from 1986 to 1998, 94.4% of patients had local swelling, 38.9% had necrosis or wound poor healing, and 19.4% had nonspecific systemic symptoms after a Taiwan-Chinese cobra bite. Gerkin et al [11] described tongue snakebite from the rattlesnake with life-threatening obstruction of upper airway secondary to massive edema of the tongue, and other soft tissue structures quickly followed envenomation. [...]poisonous snakebites are medical emergencies, and they can be deadly if not treated quickly; survival of victims depends much on the appropriate first-aid measures and immediate transportation to the nearest health center where the facility to administer antisnake venom and supportive care is available.