Signs and symptoms or cobra and viper bites

Signs and symptoms or a cobra and viper bite

Difference between a sign and a symptom
-sign: what the doctor sees on the patient with his/her own eyes.
-symptoms: what the doctor cannot see but has to dig out the information by history taking.
OR the information that the patient tells the doctor.

Symptoms of a viper bite.
Symptoms of a pit viper snakebite usually appear within a few minutes to a few hours after a bite and may include:
• Severe, immediate pain with rapid swelling.
• Bruising of the skin.
• Trouble breathing.
• Changes in heart rate or rhythm.
• A metallic, rubbery, or minty taste in the mouth.
• Numbness or tingling around the mouth, tongue, scalp, feet, or the bite area.
• Swelling in lymph nodes near the bite.
• Signs of shock.
Other symptoms may be caused by the bite itself or from fear or worry after being bitten. You may:
• Feel very worried or confused.
• Faint or feel like you might faint.
• Sweat and have chills.
• Be sick to your stomach or vomit.
• Feel weak or dizzy.
If you do not have symptoms within 8 to 12 hours, the snake might not have injected any venom; this is called a dry bite. At least 25%, perhaps up to 50%, of bites are dry.
• Dry bites or bites where only a very small amount of venom is injected may cause slight bleeding, pain, and swelling at the bite injury.
• If a moderate amount of venom was injected, you are more likely to have severe pain, swelling of the whole limb, and general ill feelings, such as nausea, vomiting, and weakness. Swelling of the whole limb is an effect of the venom and can cause to compartment syndrome. This is rare.
• Large amounts of venom usually cause severe pain and severe swelling. You may have trouble breathing, moderate to severe bleeding, and signs of shock after this type of bite.

Conclusion: viper bites cause bleeding disorders-haemotoxic...

Signs and symptoms of cobra bite(venomous or dry)

• Immediate, local pain (almost always present)
• Soft tissue swelling (may be progressive)
• Neurologic findings, which may begin early and be rapidly progressive (in anecdotal cases, victims have suffered respiratory arrest in a matter of minutes) or may be delayed in onset as long as 24 hours
• Alteration of mental status (eg, drowsiness, occasionally with euphoria)
• Complaints related to cranial nerve dysfunction, such as ptosis (often one of the earliest neurotoxic findings), ophthalmoparesis, dysphagia, and dysphasia
• Profuse salivation, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain
• Paresis of neck and jaw muscles and generalized muscular weakness followed by flaccid paralysis
• Shortness of breath, respiratory failure (muscular paresis and accumulated secretions)
• Chest pain or tightness
• Eye pain, tearing, blurred vision (with eye exposure to venom from spitting cobras)
Physical
• Impending respiratory failure
o Respiratory distress or weakness
o Cyanosis
• Neurologic dysfunction
o Altered mental status
o Ptosis (may be the earliest sign of systemic toxicity)
o Generalized weakness or paralysis
• Cardiovascular collapse
o Hypotension
o Tachycardia or bradycardia
• Soft tissue edema
• Signs of necrosis usually appear within 48 hours of the bite.
o The area around the fang punctures darkens.
o Blistering may follow.
o Necrosis is usually confined to the skin and subcutaneous tissue but may be quite extensive.
o A putrid smell is characteristic.
• Acute inflammation of the eye follows venom-spitting exposure and is characterized by ocular congestion, edema of the conjunctiva and cornea, and a whitish discharge.

Conclusion: cobra bites cause neurotoxicity. King cobra-myolitic effects.

http://www.revolutionhealth.com/articles/symptoms-of-a-pit-viper-snakebite/th1427
http://www.google.com.my/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=ophthalmoplegia&btnG=Search&meta=