Sea Snake Bites Resulted in a Mimic of Brain Death

Abstract

A 69 year old man with deep coma presented after an alleged history of sea snake bite. Patient presented with irresponsiveness to painful stimuli, complete ptosis, internal and external ophthalmoplegia. He was given continuous ventilator support despite signs of brain stem dysfunction. On admission day 20, the patient was weaned off ventilator and discharged from the hospital. Whenever treating patients who were suspected with a history of snake bite, an emergency physician should always consider severe envenomation in the differential diagnosis of acute neuroparalytic syndrome, which may avert the unfortunate misdiagnoses of brain death.