Caracterización de los pacientes atendidos con accidente ofídico en el Hospital Regional de la Orinoquía

Introduction: an ophidian accident is an intoxication due to snakebite venom inoculation. In Colombia, venomous snakes belong to the Viperidae, Elpidae and Colubridae genus. The bite causes tissue damage and characteristic clinical manifestations, including variable local and systemic pathophysiological alterations. Objective: to characterize patients with ophidian accidents treated at Hospital Regional de la Orinoquia (HORO) of Yopal, Colombia. Materials and methods: an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective study, was conducted. All patients with snakebites who attended HORO between January 1, 2014, and May 30, 2020, were included. Results: 571 patients affected by an ophidian accident were identified; 70.1% were males; the minimum age at occurrence was 2 years and the maximum age, 89 years; most cases occurred in 2018 (19.5%). These accidents happened more often when walking along trails (31.2%) and in agricultural activities (29.6%). Bites predominantly involve the lower limbs (70.2%). Conclusions: ophidian accidents are a major public health problem, due to their frequency and outcomes. They are featured by tissue lesions and pathophysiological alterations, which can lead to critical illness and death.