Table 1.

Characteristics and degree of envenomation on admission of patients according to allocation to pretreatment with adrenaline or placebo. Values are numbers of patients unless stated otherwise

Detail	Adrenaline (n=56)	Placebo (n=49)
Male	42	36
Mean (SD; range) age (years)	38.39 (13.09; 14-65)	34.61 (13.11; 17-65)
Mean (SD; range) weight (kg)	52.8 (12.4; 36.5-71)	55.7 (14.1; 42-68)
Species of snake*:
Uncertain	24	23
Russell’s viper (Daboia russelli)	22	17
Cobra (Naja naja)	5	6
Sri Lankan krait (Bungarus ceylonicus)	5	3
First aid before admission:
Received	4	4
Not received	52	45
Mean (SD) delay in admission to hospital (min)†	165 (89.4)	136 (97.6)
Systemic envenomation‡:	53	45
Coagulopathy	10	5
Neuromuscular complications	24	22
Renal impairmant	1	0
More than one feature of envenomation:	18	18
Coagulopathy and neuromuscular	14	12
Coagulopathy and renal	2	2
Neuromuscular and renal	2	2
Coagulopathy, neuromuscular, and renal	0	2
Significant local envenomation only§	3	4

^*Type of snake mentioned only when dead snake was brought to hospital. 

^†According to patient or accompanying person. 

^‡30 patients in adrenaline group and 27 in placebo group also had severe local swelling. 

^§Swelling of more than half of bitten limb (none had necrosis).