Snakebite and local envenomation by Boiruna maculata treated without antivenom

Abstract

Background When snake breeders are bitten by rare snakes, deciding whether to administer snake antivenom can be challenging. Case Presentation A 50‐year‐old man was bitten on the right finger by Boiruna maculata. The next day, his right upper limb exhibited pronounced local manifestations of envenomation. At the first consultation, a dark purple bleeding spot and a necrotic site were present under the fang marks at the bitten finger and his affected limb showed extensive swelling and redness. Snake antivenom was not administered because it was difficult to identify the snake and obtain the antivenom. We performed the pressure immobilization technique to his limb. The patient’s symptoms peaked in severity on the second day of illness. He was discharged with marked improvement. Conclusions We have experienced a case of snakebite envenomation by Boiruna maculata.

Keywords

• Antivenoms
• envenomation
• first aid
• mussurana
• snake bites