INFECTIONS IN THE BITE SITE AFTER ENVENOMING BY SNAKES OF THE Bothrops GENUS

M. T. JORGE(1) , L. A. RIBEIRO(1)

1 Department of Internal Medicine of the Center of Biomedical Sciences of the Federal University of Uberlândia, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

ABSTRACT. Envenomation caused by snakes of the Bothrops genus produces a lesion in the bite site and can result in extensive necrosis. The dead tissue can be secondarily infected by bacteria that come from the snake, and the bacteria can be inoculated at the moment of the bite. The bacteria that most commonly cause infection are the enterobacteria, mainly Morganella morganii, Proteus rettgeri, Enterobacter sp., and Escherichia coli. Group D streptococci including here Enterococcus sp. and the Bacteroides sp. are also involved. Based on a study of the sensibility of these bacteria, it has been suggested that this infection must be treated with chloramphenicol, as a sole antimicrobial agent, or with the combinations of benzylpenicillin or ampicillin with aminoglycoside or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Although Governmental Health Services do not recommend the prophylactic use of antimicrobial drugs, it is not yet clear that such a procedure would not be useful in cases with a high probability of infection.

KEY WORDS: snakebite, Bothrops, infection, antimicrobial agents, treatment.

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

M. T. JORGE - Departamento de Clínica Médica, Centro de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Avenida Pará, 1720, CEP 38.400-902, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brasil.