EXPERIENCE IN THE TREATMENT OF ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY VENOMOUS ANIMALS IN THE STATE OF CEARA, BRAZIL

GUIMARÃES J.A. & GUIMARÃES, B.R.P.A.

Centro de Assistência Toxicológica, Instituto José Frota, Ceará, Brasil (CEATOX/IJF)

Having participated of the National Course of Ophidism and Other Venomous Animals, in the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, December 1987, sponsored for the Brazilian Health Ministery, we engage as a multiplying agent in clinic of accidents with venomous animals in the state of the Ceará. The training happened at a critical moment of the history of the ophidism in Brazil, arising in 1984 with the lack of anti-venom serum to supply the national demand. The results of the action of the government were the magnifying of knowledge for the improvement of the diagnosis and the outcomes of the treatments, thus diminishing the human suffering with sequels and mortality. Coming back of the Course, we assumed the coordination of the Center of Toxicological Assistance of the José Frota Institute (CEATOX/IJF), where we start to act as physician and advisor of the clinical cases related the venomous animals. In the ten first years of intense participation in the hospital, we had been involved in practically all the 26,313 registered cases of poisoning, between them 4,573 accidents due to venomous animals and 1,587 non-venomous ones. We diminish the lethality for 0.13%, due to good quality antivenin serum, as well as support of the authorities in the qualification of the health professionals. Significant facts occurred in this period, such as the first register of accident caused by Lachesis snake, coming from the Maciço de Baturité. Until then, such evidence had not been recognized by Health department and, therefore, we did not have the specific serum to treat the patient. It just arrived three days after the accident, when patient had been submitted to several blood transfusions due to a severe local hemorrhage since the first minutes after the accident, and the improvement of the patient only occurred six hours after the application of the antilaquetic serum. Another important register says respect the notification of cases of accidents with black-widow spiders (Latrodectus curacaviensis) in the State of the Ceará, being presented on VII Congress of the Associación Latinoamericana de Toxicologia. With the constant participation of many colleagues in the clinical practice we elaborate, in 2005, a spread sheet of data to facilitate to the correct diagnosis and the treatment of the accidents. This spread sheet was registered in the Self-Regulating Body of the Medicine Profession of the State of the Ceará (CRM/CE) in order to improve the adhesion of the health profissionals in the participation and attendance of victims of accidents due to venomous animals, independent to have previous specific training. Currently, we are developing partnerships with Universities and courses of the health area, in order to develop clinico-epidemiological research in the direction to optimize the attendance, as well as the behaviors that front to accidents caused by venomous animals in the State of the Ceara.

KEY WORDS: Ophidism, venomous animals, human accidents

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