What Researchers Did
Doctors in Martinique reviewed the cases of five patients who received hyperbaric oxygen therapy for serious complications after being bitten by a Bothrops lanceolatus snake.
What They Found
This is a retrospective case report covering snake bites treated between January 1988 and January 2009, during which more than 250 bites were reported and five patients received hyperbaric oxygen therapy for local complications. All five patients were male and were bitten on the leg or hand, and they developed severe complications such as necrotizing soft tissue infections, compartment syndrome, or abscesses despite prompt wound care and antivenom treatment. Outcomes were favorable for four of the five patients, while one was left with a functional defect of the hand.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This is a small, retrospective case series of only five patients with no comparison group, so it cannot show whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy caused the favorable outcomes rather than the antivenom and wound care the patients also received.