Comparação entre a epidemiologia do acidente e a clínica do envenenamento por serpentes do gênero Bothrops, em adultos idosos e não idosos Comparison between the epidemiology of accidents and the clinical features of envenoming by snakes of the genus Bothrops, among elderly and non-elderly adults

Abstract

O objetivo do presente estudo foi conhecer diferenças epidemiológicas e clínicas do envenenamento por Bothrops spp em adultos idosos (>60 anos) e não idosos (20 a 59 anos). Os dados foram obtidos de 1.930 prontuários de pacientes atendidos no Instituto Butantan de 1981 a 1992. Quanto maior a idade do paciente maior a freqüência do acometimento das mãos em relação aos pés (p12 horas após a picada (pThis study had the aim of ascertaining epidemiological and clinical differences in envenoming caused by Bothrops spp between elderly adults (>60 years) and non-elderly adults (20 to 59 years). The data were obtained from 1,930 medical records of patients attended at the Butantan Institute between 1981 and 1992. The greater the patient’s age was, the higher the frequency of bites on the hands rather than on the feet was (p 12 hours after the bite (p < 0.05). Necrosis was more common among the elderly patients (p < 0.05) and renal failure was more common among patients aged 50 years or over (p < 0.05), in relation to younger patients. It was concluded that elderly individuals are more often bitten on the hands and less often on the feet, and that they develop local necrosis and renal failure more frequently than do younger individuals.

Keywords

• Bothrops
• Acidente ofídico
• Envenenamento
• Idoso
• Bothrops
• Snake bites
• Envenoming
• Elderly