Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of patients with Protobothrops mucrosquamatus snakebites in early and late groups
| Early (start antivenom ≤ 1 hour) (n = 130) | Late (start antivenom > 1 hour) (n = 65) | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 54 ± 17.3 | 53 ± 15.8 | 0.671 |
| Male gender, n (%) | 93 (71.5) | 45 (69.2) | 0.738 |
| Definite cases (n = 100), n (%) | 66 (50.8) | 34 (52.3) | 0.880 |
| Suspected cases (n = 95), n (%) | 64 (49.2) | 31 (47.7) | 0.880 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 18 (20.0) | 13 (13.8) | 0.301 |
| Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 5 (3.8) | 5 (7.7) | 0.306 |
| End stage of renal disease, n (%) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.5) | 0.333 |
| Obesity, n (%) | 5 (3.8) | 2 (3.1) | 1.000 |
| Malignancy, n (%) | 3 (2.3) | 0 (0.0) | 0.552 |
| The years of emergency department visit, n (%) | 0.175 | ||
| 2006–2009 | 40 (30.8) | 13 (20) | |
| 2010–2013 | 49 (37.7) | 24 (36.9) | |
| 2014–2016 | 41 (31.5) | 28 (43.1) | |
| Urgent triage (triage I and II), n (%) | 63 (48.5) | 24 (36.9) | 0.127 |
| Heart rate at triage (beats/minute) | 87 ± 10.5 | 89 ± 9 | 0.547 |
| Mean blood pressure at triage (mm Hg) | 114 ± 12.5 | 111 ± 11.6 | 0.483 |
| Envenomation location, n (%) | 0.304 | ||
| Upper extremity | 63 (48.5) | 34 (52.3) | |
| Lower extremity | 67 (51.5) | 30 (46.2) | |
| Trunk/other, n (%) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.5) | |
| Initial antivenom dose (vials) | 1 ± 0.5 | 1 ± 0.5 | 0.702 |
| Total antivenom dose (vials) | 2 ± 1.5 | 3 ± 1.5 | 0.070 |
| Perform antivenom skin tests, n (%) | 61 (46.9) | 41 (63.1) | 0.033 |
| Negative, n (%) | 56 (43.1) | 39 (60) | |
| Positive, n (%) | 5 (3.8) | 2 (3.1) | |
| Door to antivenom (minutes) | 43 ± 11.5 | 80 ± 12.5 | < 0.001 |
| Antivenom reactions, n (%) | 39 (30) | 16 (24.6) | 0.431 |
| Severe antivenom reactions, n (%) | 1 (0.8) | 0 (0) | 1.000 |
| Initial laboratory data, n (%) | |||
| Leukocytosis (white blood cells > 12,000/µL) | 10 (16.4) | 16 (12.9) | 0.509 |
| Anemia (hemoglobulin < 12 g/dL) | 4 (6.6) | 9 (7.3) | 1.000 |
| Thrombocytopenia (platelet < 150,000/µL) | 13 (21.3) | 22 (17.7) | 0.556 |
| Prolonged prothrombin time (> 12 seconds) | 10 (16.9) | 16 (13.4) | 0.653 |
| Prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (> 33.8 seconds) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.9) | 1.000 |
| Renal impairment (creatinine > 1.4 mg/dL) | 1 (1.8) | 3 (2.6) | 1.000 |
| Elevated alanine aminotransferase level (> 40 U/L) | 6 (12) | 10 (11.9) | 1.000 |
Data are presented as number (%), mean ± SD, or median ± quartile deviation.