Acidente botrópico fatal / Death caused by bothrops poisoning

Os acidentes ofídicos causados pelo gênero Bothrops ocasionam manifestações locais secundárias à ação inflamatória aguda do veneno. A ocorrência de óbito (em torno de 0,6% do total de casos atendidos anualmente no Brasil) é rara, mas certamente, traumática. O relato deste caso visa chamar a atenção para possíveis complicações locais e sistêmicas (insuficiência renal e sepsis) neste tipo de envenenamento e enfatizar as medidas terapêuticas e de suporte que devem ser realizadas em tempo hábil.

The Snakebite caused by Bothrops gender cause local events secondary to acute inflammatory action of the poison. The occurrence of death (about 0.6% of all cases occurred each year in Brazil) is rare, but certainly traumatic. The report of this case aims to draw attention to possible local and systemic complications (sepsis and renal failure) in this type of poisoning and emphasize the therapeutic and supportive measures that should be carried out in a timely fashion.

Acidentes por animais peçonhentos: serpentes peçonhetas / Envenomation caused by poisonous animals: poisonous snakes

São abordados aspectos da fisiopatologia, clínica e terapêutica dos envenenamentos humanos, causados por serpentes peçonhentas dos gêneros Bothrops, Crotalus e Micrurus, que ocorrem no sudeste do Brasil. Elaboração de diretrizes para o atendimento dos pacientes na U.E-HCFMRP-USP e reprodução dos princípios para a indicação de soroterapia antiveneno (SAV). Quando aplicada, a SAV deverá ser administrada por via intravenosa, gota a gota, sem diluição, precedida por drogas anti-histamínicas (anti ‘H IND. 1’ e anti ‘H IND. 2’) e corticóides, visando à proteção contra possíveis reações de hipersensibilidade e sem que sejam realizados testes cutâneos previamente

Acidentes por animais peçonhentos: escorpiões e aranhas / Envenomation caused by poisonous animals: scorpions and spiders

São abordados aspectos da fisiopatologia, clínica e terapêutica dos envenenamentos humanos, causados por escorpiões do gênero Tityus e aranhas do gêneros Phoneutria e Loxosceles, encaminhados ao Centro de Controle de Intoxicações (CCI) da U.E.-HCFMRP- USP. Quando indicada, a soroterapia antiveneno (SAV) específica deverá obedecer ao roteiro de aplicação, descrito para os acidentes ofídicos

Proposal of abolition of the skin sensitivity test before equine rabies immune globulin application

An epizootic outbreak of rabies occurred in 1995 in Ribeiräo Preto, SP, with 58 cases of animal rabies (54 dogs, 3 cats and 1 bat) confirmed by the Pasteur Institute of Säo Paulo, and one human death. The need to provide care to a large number of people for the application of equine rabies immune globulin (ERIG) prevented the execution of the skin sensitivity test (SST) and often also the execution of desensitization, procedures routinely used up to that time at the Emergency Unit of the University Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeiräo Preto, University of Säo Paulo (EU-UHFMRP-USP), a reference hospital for the application of heterologous sera. In view of our positive experience of several years with the abolition of SST and of the use of premedication before the application of antivenom sera, we used a similar schedule for ERIG application. Of the 1489 victims of animal bites, 1054 (71 percent) received ERIG; no patient was submitted to SST and all received intravenously anti-histamines (anti-H1 + anti-H2) and corticosteroids before the procedure. The patients were kept under observation for 60 to 180 minutes and no adverse reaction was observed. On the basis of these results, since December 1995 ERIG application has been decentralized in Ribeiräo Preto and has become the responsibility of the Emergency Unit of the University Hospital and the Central Basic Health Unit, where the same routine is used. Since then, 4216 patients have received ERIG (1818 at the Basic Health Unit and 2398 at the EU-UHFMRP), with no problems. The ideal would be the routine use of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) in public health programs, but this is problematic, because of their high cost. However, while this does not occur, the use of SST is no longer justified at the time of application of ERIG, in view of the clinical evidence of low predictive value and low sensitivity of SST involving the application of heterologous sera. It is very important to point out that a negative SST result may lead the health team to a feeling of false safety that no adverse reaction will occur, but this is not true for the anaphylactoid reactions. The decision to use premedication, which is based on knowledge about anaphylaxis and on the pharmacology of the medication used, is left to the judgment of health professionals, who should always be prepared for eventual untoward events

Acidentes por animais peçonhentos / Envenomation caused by poisonous animals

Säo descritos alguns aspectos da fisiopatologia e os dados fundamentais sobre a clínica e terapêutica dos acidentes provocados por animais peçonhentos mais frequentes na regiäo Sudeste do Brasil. Säo abordados os acidentes por serpentes peçonhentas do gênero Bothrops, Crotalus e Micrurus e os aracnídeos, escorpiöes do gênero Tityus e aranhas dos gêneros Loxosceles e Phoneutria. Quando indicada, a soroterapia antiveneno (SAV) deve ser aplicada intravenosamente, gota a gota, sem diluiçäo, precedida por antihistamínicos (anti-H1 e anti-H2) e corticóides, visando a proteçäo contra possíveis reaçöes de hipersensibilidade e sem que sejam realizados testes cutâneos previamente