Moderately severe acute pancreatitis after snake bite: a case report from Southern China

Abstract

Venomous snakebites are not rare worldwide, and this is also the situation in the mountainous regions of southern China, where they pose a serious health risk to the local population. Snake venom usually causes a variety of clinical symptoms, such as local pain and swelling, systemic coagulation system abnormalities, and shock, but rarely leads to acute pancreatitis. In this report, we presented a rare case of moderately severe acute pancreatitis caused by snake venom even after prompt antivenom treatment. The patient was relieved, obviously, with effective treatment of acute pancreatitis and was discharged without severe complications. Although acute pancreatitis after snake bite is a rarity, its serious complications and lethality still deserve our utmost attention, and timely and standardized treatment of acute pancreatitis is needed in addition to antivenom treatment.

Zusammenfassung

Venöse Schlangenbisse sind weltweit keine Seltenheit, und das ist auch die Situation in den Bergregionen Südchinas, wo sie ein ernstes Gesundheitsrisiko für die lokale Bevölkerung darstellen. Schlangengift verursacht in der Regel eine Vielzahl von klinischen Symptomen wie lokale Schmerzen und Schwellungen, systemische Gerinnungssystemanomalien und Schock, führt aber selten zu akuter Pankreatitis. In diesem Bericht stellen wir einen seltenen Fall einer mittelschweren akuten Pankreatitis vor, die durch Schlangengift selbst nach sofortiger Antigiftbehandlung verursacht wird. Der Patient besserte sich offensichtlich mit einer wirksamen Behandlung der akuten Pankreatitis und wurde ohne schwere Komplikationen entlassen. Obwohl akute Pankreatitis nach Schlangenbiss eine Seltenheit ist, verdienen ihre schwerwiegenden Komplikationen und Letalität immer noch unsere größte Aufmerksamkeit und eine rechtzeitige und standardisierte Behandlung der akuten Pankreatitis ist zusätzlich zur Antigiftbehandlung erforderlich.

Keywords

snakebites - venom - acute pancreatitis - case report

Schlüsselwörter

Schlangenbisse - Gift - akute Pankreatitis - Fallbericht

Publication History

Received: 24 June 2023

Article published online:
20 September 2023

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