Acute kidney injury caused by bothrops snake venom

Abstract

Medically important venomous snakes in Latin America belong to the genus Bothrops, Crotalus, Lachesis and Micrurus. The Bothrops genus is responsible for the majority of accidents. The WHO globally estimates 2,500,000 poisonous snakebites and 125,000 deaths annually. In its last report in 2001, the Brazilian Ministry of Health accounted 359 deaths due to snakebites, of which the Bothrops genus was responsible for 185. Snake venoms cause local and systemic damage, including acute kidney injury, which is the most important cause of death among patients surviving the early effects of envenoming by the Crotalus and Bothrops genuses. Venom-induced acute kidney injury is a frequent complication of Bothrops snakebite, carrying relevant morbidity and mortality. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.