Clinical presentation and management of an Aruban rattlesnake bite in the Netherlands

Abstract

Bites by Aruban Rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus unicolor) are rare and not known to induce severe envenomations. Here, we present a case of a 57 year-old man bitten by his pet Aruban Rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus unicolor). He was admitted to hospital within 15 min. Three and a half hours later his fibrinogen concentration decreased to 0.6 g/L (normal: 2.0-4.0). Nine hours post-bite, he was treated with polyvalent snake antivenom covering Crotalus durissus. Three hours later his fibrinogen became undetectable while at that time clotting times were prolonged (PT 38.7 s (normal: 12.5-14.5) and aPTT 40 s (normal: 25-35)). His platelet count remained within normal limits. Creatine kinase (CK) concentrations reached a maximum of 1868 U/L (normal: <200) 16 h post-bite. After a second antivenom dose, 10.5 h after the first antivenom administration, clotting times returned to normal. Fibrinogen was restored to normal within three days. He was discharged from hospital on day five. In conclusion, administration of polyvalent snake antivenom covering Crotalus durissus snakebites shows cross-neutralization and is effective in the treatment of patients bitten by Crotalus durissus unicolor.