Vipera berus bites in Finlad – has anything changed during the last decade?
Taavo, Taru (2023-02-19)
Vipera berus bites in Finlad – has anything changed during the last decade?
(19.02.2023)
Julkaisu on tekijänoikeussäännösten alainen. Teosta voi lukea ja tulostaa henkilökohtaista käyttöä varten. Käyttö kaupallisiin tarkoituksiin on kielletty.
suljettu
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on:
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2023030730400
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2023030730400
Tiivistelmä
The common European adder, Vipera berus, is the only indigenous venomous snake in
Finland. Dozens of snakebites happen every year and most patients experience only
local symptoms, but the possibility of severe complications exists. Fatal cases are very
rare, and the latest fatal snakebite in Finland has been reported in the 1980’s. Patients
with severe or prolonged symptoms can be treated with a specific ovine-based
antivenom. The aim of this study was to obtain general information about snakebites
and the use of an ovine-based antivenom.
This was an epidemiological retrospective study. The material consisted of patients
treated for a snakebite or a suspected snakebite in Finland at Turku University Hospital
during years 2011-2019. Information about patient’s age, sex, symptoms, bite location,
treatment, and duration of hospitalization, were collected. The severity of a snakebite
was evaluated using the Poisoning severity score with five categories, from no
symptoms to fatal. The results were compared with a previous study on the same region
to determine possible changes in treatment practices and results.
Vipera berus bites treated in the university hospital are common and the number of
them has slowly increased during the latest decade. Severe symptoms were very rare
and the number of them seems to be stable. This may be explained by public
instructions to contact the health care upon a snakebite, even in the absence of
symptoms. Antivenom administration is typical in the most severe cases and its use has
remained at the same level. Ovine-based antivenom was mostly complication free in the
study.
Finland. Dozens of snakebites happen every year and most patients experience only
local symptoms, but the possibility of severe complications exists. Fatal cases are very
rare, and the latest fatal snakebite in Finland has been reported in the 1980’s. Patients
with severe or prolonged symptoms can be treated with a specific ovine-based
antivenom. The aim of this study was to obtain general information about snakebites
and the use of an ovine-based antivenom.
This was an epidemiological retrospective study. The material consisted of patients
treated for a snakebite or a suspected snakebite in Finland at Turku University Hospital
during years 2011-2019. Information about patient’s age, sex, symptoms, bite location,
treatment, and duration of hospitalization, were collected. The severity of a snakebite
was evaluated using the Poisoning severity score with five categories, from no
symptoms to fatal. The results were compared with a previous study on the same region
to determine possible changes in treatment practices and results.
Vipera berus bites treated in the university hospital are common and the number of
them has slowly increased during the latest decade. Severe symptoms were very rare
and the number of them seems to be stable. This may be explained by public
instructions to contact the health care upon a snakebite, even in the absence of
symptoms. Antivenom administration is typical in the most severe cases and its use has
remained at the same level. Ovine-based antivenom was mostly complication free in the
study.