Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
4
Medically Significant Bites by
“Colubrid” Snakes
4.1 Typical Features of Documented Cases and
Evidence-Based Risk
Some circumstantial evidence is very strong, as when you find a trout in the milk.
Thoreau (1850)
Review of several hundred published case reports or accounts of bites by “colubrid”
snakes indicated that these reported incidents involved at least 100 taxa (
Table 4.1
).
When critically reviewed, the vast majority of these (approximately 71.5%) featured
only minor pain, puncture wounds/lacerations, and very mild local effects (e.g., slight
reactive edema, brief bleeding), without any lasting sequelae. Most reported symp-
toms/signs resolved within 24 h after the bite. Approximately 24 taxa (28.5% of the
cases reviewed) inflicted bites that resulted in medically significant effects. Although
this is notably subjective, a medically significant bite is defined as one with clinically
detectable pathology sufficient to cause the patient distress along with some observed
progression of the symptoms/signs. In a relatively small number of these cases, the
symptoms/signs did not fully resolve for several days, weeks, or even months.
