What are the other Names for this Condition? (Also known as/Synonyms)

• Bothrops Atrox Snake Bite
• Macagua Colombian Pitviper Snake Bite
• South American Lancehead Pitviper Snake Bite

What is Common Lancehead Snake Bite? (Definition/Background Information)

• The common lancehead snake (Bothrops atrox) is a highly-venomous snake that ranges in size from 2.5 feet to nearly 6 feet in length. The snake belongs to the subspecies of pit vipers, family Viperidae. Pit vipers are termed so, due to the presence of certain heat-sensing organs located in a recess/notch between their eyes and nostrils
• This reptile is found at elevations of up to 4,000 feet (1,300 m) in tropical deciduous and rainforests, wet forests by mountain sides, and savanna grasslands of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela in the South American continent. It is a nocturnal snake that hunts at night, preying mainly on small mammals, other snakes, lizards, frogs, and small birds
• The common lancehead snake has a medium to heavy body with a short tail; young snakes may present yellow or pink tail tips. The head of the snake is broad and shaped like a lance (spear) and distinct from its neck. The snake color and patterns are extremely variable, but most specimens have a series of distinct light-edged, dark cross bands (sometimes nearly invisible) that tend to vanish on approaching the tail. The head may be brownish to grey with dark stripes around the eye
• The snake is frequently encountered in cultivated areas and human settlements in very near to waterbodies such as rivers, streams, and lakes. Common Lancehead Snake Bites involving humans are not uncommon. The snake is sometimes aggressive, fast-moving, and can strike rapidly. The snake bite has a potential to result in severe envenomation (venom injection) with significant symptoms, in the absence of adequate treatment; the rate of envenomation is over 80%
• The signs and symptoms of Common Lancehead Snake Bite may include severe local effects, such as pain at the bite site and local swelling with bruising, blistering, and tissue necrosis. In case of systemic symptoms, the bite can result in headache, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, seizures, and collapse. The snake venom is a potent mix of hemotoxins and myotoxins that can cause hypovolemic shock and renal failure
• Early administration of suitable antivenom (or antivenin) is the mainstay of treatment. Apart from this, symptomatic treatment is necessary, which may include the use of pain medication, wound care, blood transfusion, and breathing support, if needed. The prognosis of Common Lancehead Snake Bite with prompt and effective therapy is usually good; although, fatalities are known to take place without proper treatment