ABSTRACT
Most of the Russell's viper patients with severe envenomation development oliguric acute renal failure. Majority of these patients failed to respond to conservative medical treaatment and required peritoneal dialysis (PD) for their survial. Some of them expired even after peritoned dialysis. In this study,some factors associated with development of acute renal failure, PD requirement and final outcomes i.e. recovered or expired, in the proven Russell's viper bitevictims admitted to the Thingangyun Sanpya Hospital were determined. It was found that the prognosis of these patients was apparently related to the time intervals between: the bite and receiving anti-venom, the bite and hospitalization, and the bite and treatment with peritoneal dialysis. It is suggested that antivenom should be administered within 2 hours and the victims hospitalized within 24 hours after the bite. Besides, peritoneal dialysis should be regarded as a lifesaaving measure for Russell's viper bite patients with oliguric acute renal failure and instituted as early as possible i.e. within 4 days after the bite.