King cobra bite – Can early decompression prevent digital amputation?

Abstract

King cobra bites are extremely rare in the western world. These bites can be fatal due to the large volume of the venom injected. We report a case of digital ischaemia from a King cobra bite in a young man who was working in a zoo in Netherlands. He was protected from systemic envenomation as he was wearing a protective glove. However, his right index finger developed subsequent gangrene and he underwent a ray amputation. The current literature on the management of snake bites to hands is reviewed and the role of early decompression discussed.

Keywords

• King cobra bite
• Snake bite
• Finger decompression incision
• Digital osteofacial comparments