What may increase your risk for problems after a snake or lizard bite?
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What may increase your risk for problems after a snake or lizard bite?
Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medicines, and diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at risk for a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the following. Be sure to tell your doctor.
Conditions
- Age older than 60
- Children and small adults
- Malnutrition
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Previous allergic reaction to snakes or lizards or to antivenom used to treat a prior bite
- Previous snake or lizard bite that required medical treatment
- Previous treatment with snake antivenom
- Previous surgery to injured area
- Previous surgery to remove the spleen
- Uncertain tetanus immunization history
Lifestyle choices
- Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
- Drug abuse or withdrawal
- Smoking or other tobacco use
Medicines
- Anticoagulants, such as aspirin, heparin, or warfarin (Coumadin)
- Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
- Heart medicines, such as beta-blockers
- Medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection
- Medicines used to treat cancer (chemotherapy)
- Radiation therapy
Diseases
- Anemia
- Bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia or von Willebrand's disease
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia
- Heart disease
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
- Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Neurologic diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, or Parkinson's disease
- Peripheral arterial disease
- Sickle cell disease
Credits
| Author | Jan Nissl, RN, BS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Sean P. Bush, MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine and Envenomation Specialist |
| Last Updated | June 19, 2008 |
| Last updated: | June 19, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS |
| Reviewed By: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, Sean P. Bush, MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine and Envenomation Specialist |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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