Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Although venomous (poisonous) snakes are relatively common in the U.S., bites
from venomous snakes are a rare cause of death in this country. While there are
about 8,000 venomous snake bites reported each year in the U.S., no more than 12
deaths were reported each year from 1960-1990 as a result of poisonous snake
bites. About half of all reported snake bites occur in children.
Pit vipers are a family of snakes whose scientific name is Crotalidae. This
group, which is responsible for 99% of poisonous snake bites in the U.S.,
includes the rattlesnakes, copperheads, and water moccasins (cottonmouths).
Within this group, rattlesnakes have the most deadly venom and cause the
majority of snakebite-related deaths. Rattlesnakes can be found in both the
Eastern and Western areas of the country. In particular, the Mojave rattlesnake has one of the most potent venoms of all rattlesnakes. Copperheads, common in the Eastern
U.S., have a milder venom than that of rattlesnakes. Water moccasins live around
natural waters in the Southeast; their venom has an intermediate potency between
that of the rattlesnakes and copperheads. Coral snakes found in the southern
U.S., related to the Asian cobras and not part of the pit viper family, are a
rare cause of poisonous snake bites in the U.S.
What are the symptoms of a poisonous snake bite?
Symptoms of snake bites are dependent upon the type and
size of the snake, the location of the bite on the body, and the age, size, and
health of the victim. Children are more likely to have severe symptoms because
they receive a larger concentration of venom due to their smaller body size.
Also, not all snake bites involve the discharge of venom into the victim (known as
evenomation). At least 25% of poisonous snake bites do not result in
evenomation.
Snake venoms are either hemotoxic (causing damage to
blood and other tissues)
or neurotoxic (causing damage to nerves). The pit vipers, with the exception of
some Mojave rattlesnakes, have hemotoxic venom. The extremely potent venom of the Mojave rattlesnake has neurotoxic activity. Coral snakes also have neurotoxic venom.
Pit viper bites often show two characteristic fang marks at the site of the
bite. Intense pain usually results at the site within five minutes of the bite,
and swelling is common. Other symptoms that may result from pit viper hemotoxin
include:
Bites from snakes such as coral snakes and their exotic
relatives whose venom is neurotoxic may result in minimal pain and no visible
marks on the skin.
Instead of pain and swelling, these bites often cause local numbness along with
a number of other symptoms including:
Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
Rhabdomyolysis is a rapid deterioration and destruction of skeletal muscle. Some of the causes of rhabdomyolysis include severe burns, muscle trauma, coma, seizures, electrolyte imbalance, medications (statins), viruses, bacteria. Treatment of rhabdomyolysis depends on the cause.
Compartment syndrome is a condition in which swelling and an increase in pressure within a limited space presses and compresses blood vessels, nerves, or tendons that run through the compartment. There are two types of compartment syndrome, acute compartment syndrome is treated with surgery (fasciotomy) and chronic compartment syndrome, which is treated with rest and modality to the affected limb. Symptoms of compartment syndrome include pain, change in sensation, change in color, paralysis, or numbness in the affected limb.
First aid is a complicated subject and it is situation-specific. First aid is the help and medical assistance that someone gives, not only to an injured person, but to a person who is sick. Preparedness is a key element of first aid, like having basic medical emergency kits in your home, car, boat, or RV. Cuts, puncture wounds, sprains, strains, nosebleeds are one type of injury that may require first aid; heart attacks, strokes, seizures, and heat stroke are examples of more critical first aid emergencies.
Rhabdomyolysis (RAB-DOE-MY-O-LIE-SIS) is the rapid destruction of skeletal muscle resulting in
leakage into the urine of the muscle
protein myoglobin.
There are three different types of muscle in the human body;
smooth muscle,
skeletal
muscle, and
heart muscle.
The
skeletal muscle is the muscle of movement of the body (moving the skeleton at the joints). Skeletal muscle is affected by
rhabdomyolysis.
Myoglobin is a protein component of the muscle cells that is released into
the blood when the skeletal muscle is destroyed in rhabdomyolysis.
Creatine
kinase is an enzyme (a protein that facilitates chemical reactions in the body)
also in the muscle cells. The level of each of these proteins can be
measured in blood to monitor the degree of muscle injury from rhabdomyolysis. Myoglobin can
also be measured in samples of urine.
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