Accidents caused by Bothrops snakes in the state of Paraíba: Epidemiological and Clinical Aspects

ABSTRACT The clinical and epidemiological profile of bothropic accidents admitted and notified at the Centros de Assistencia e Informacao Toxicologica da Paraiba [Centers of Toxicological Assistance and Information of the state of Paraiba] are described between July 2006 and June 2008. It is a prospective transversal study, with a quantitative approach of the registered cases diagnosed as bothropic accidents. Data were gathered from Notification Files from the Sinitox ( Sistema Nacional de Informacoes Toxico-Farmacologicas ) [National System of Toxic-Pharmacological Information]. The variables collected were compiled taking into account two categories: epidemiological aspects – variables related to the person (age, sex, profession and education); as well as variables concerning the accident (seasonality, area of occurrence, circumstances involving the accident and anatomic area more severely involved); clinical aspects: variables regarding the accident (poison, confirmation and severity) and the admittance (length of time counted from the accident to admittance, serotherapy, number of days in hospital care and clinical evolution). The bites were more frequent in males (75,1%), rural workers (65,1%), literate (69,0%), aging from 11 to 20 years old (21,7%), being the toes the most implicated anatomic area (52,7%). Most of the patients (86,6%) was admitted within six hours after the accident/bite, being mild cases more common (64,6%). The annual occurrence in Paraiba was 5,5 accidents/100.000 inhabitants and severity was 0,2%. The clinical local and systemic symptoms followed the national pattern for Bothrops snake accidents. The serotherapy used was similar to the one advised by the Ministerio da Saude [Health Ministry].