Pit vipers are the predominant venomous serpents of Central and South America. Their bites cause substantial local tissue destruction and other morbidity and if untreated cause significant mortality. Primary treatment is with intravenous equine derived antivenom.
CampbellJ.A.LamarW.W.The Venomous Reptiles of Latin America. Ithaca: Comstock Publishing Associates, 1989
2.
Department of the NavyPoisonous Snakes of the World. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1962
3.
SchmidtK.P.IngerR.F.Living Reptiles of the World. New York: Doubleday & Co, 1962
4.
MattisonC.Snakes of the World. New York: Facts on File Publications, 1986
5.
DitmarsR.L.Snakes of the World. New York: The MacMillan Company, 1966
6.
RosenfeldG.Symptomatology, pathology, and treatment of snake bites in South America. In: BucherlW.BuckleyE.E.DeulofeuV. eds. Venomous Animals and their Venoms, vol 11. New York: Academic Press, 1971
7.
ClarkH.C.Venomous snakes. Some Central American records. Incidence of snake-bit accidents. Am J Trop Med1942; 22, 37–49
8.
KamiguitA.S.CardosoJ.L.C.TheakstonR.D.G.Sano-MartinsI.S.HuttonR.A.RugmanF.P.WarrellD.A.HayC.R.M.Coagulopathy and haemorrhage in human victims of Bothrops jararaca envenoming in Brazil. Toxicon1991; 29, 961–972
9.
Carroll, R.L. Cases of snakebite in Almirante hospital and Panama during the year 1927. From a text of Dr Findley Russell's Library, United Fruit Company, Medical Department, p. 275.
10.
KerriganK.R.Venomous snakebite in Eastern Ecuador. Am J Trop Med Hyg1991; 44, 93–99
11.
NishiokaS.D.A.SilveiraP.V.P.A clinical and epidemiologic study of 292 cases of lanceheaded viper bite in a Brazilian teaching hospital. Am J Trop Med Hyg1992; 47, 805–810
12.
CupoP.Azevedo-MarquesM.M.HeringS.E.Clinical and laboratory features of South American rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus) envenomation in children. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene1988; 82, 924–929
13.
Azevedo-MarquesM.M.HeringS.E.CupoP.Evidence that Crotalus durissus terrificus (South American rattlesnake) envenomation in humans causes myolysis rather than hemolysis. Toxicon1987; 25, 1163–1168
14.
EkenbackK.HultingJ.PerssonH.WernellI.Unusual neurological symptoms in a case of severe crotalid envenomation. Clinical Toxicol1985; 23, 357–364
15.
Silva, J. Accidentes humanus por las serpentes de los generos bothrops y lachesis. Mem Inst Butantan 1980/81; 44/45: 403–23.
16.
Physician's Desk Reference 1993; 47: 2541–2.
17.
Mazzoli, A.J., (Personal communication from Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories), 17 Oct. 1990.
18.
TheakstonR.D.G.WarrellD.A.Antivenoms: a list of hyperimmune sera currently available for the treatment of envenoming by bites and stings. Toxicon1991; 29, 1419–1470
19.
Dr Jese Maria Gutierrez, G., Director, Instituto Clodomiro Picado, (Personal communication) 4 February 1991.
20.
Species Index Toxicon, Volumes 1–27, Toxicon 1990; 28: 751.
21.
NeeperM.P.JacobsonM.A.Sequence of a cDNA encoding the platelet aggregation inhibitor trigramin. Nucleic Acids Research1990; 18, 4255
22.
KiniR.M.EvansH.J.Structural domains in venom proteins: evidence that metalloproteinases and nonenzymatic platelet aggregation inhibitors (disintegrins) from snake venoms are derived by proteolysis from a common precursor. Toxicon1992; 30, 265–293
23.
DavisD.BranchK.EgenN.B.RussellF.E.GerrishK.AuerbachP.S.The effect of an electrical current on snake venom toxicity. J Wilderness Med1992; 3, 48–53
