Abstract

Background: Snake envenomation is associated with serious complications including infections, bleeding and, in rare occasions, thrombosis. Previous work by our group examined the association of snakebite and acute myocardial infarction. In this systematic review we aim to assess the clinical characteristics and outcomes of acute cerebrovascular accidents that are reported to be extremely rare complications of snake envenomation.
Methods: We performed a literature search for reports on stroke associated with snake envenomation between Jan 1995 to Oct 2018, and summarized their characteristics.
Results: Eighty-three published cases were reviewed. 66.3% of the cases were younger than 50 years of age. The mean time for the onset of the symptoms is 23.8±10.9 hours after exposure. 77.1% of the cases found to have ischemic stroke, 20.5% with intra-cranial hemorrhage and both infarction and hemorrhage in 2.4%. Mortality was reported in 16.9% with mean time between onset of the symptoms and death is 4.2 days.
Conclusion: Stroke secondary to snake envenomation is a rare but serious complication. Once stroke is suspected, initiating appropriate management is crucial in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with this potentially fatal complication of snake envenomation.