Abstract
Approximately 2,000 children age 17 years and younger are victims of a rattlesnake or copperhead bite each year. Most are teenage boys or late preteen boys. Over the years, controversy has surrounded the management of snakebites. Victims have been subjected to a variety of unproven first-aid techniques. In addition, surgeons and nonsurgeons have argued over the risks and benefits of bite site excision, prophylactic fasciotomy, expectant observation, and antivenom administration. Research in the last 2 decades has led to a better understanding of the risks of tissue injury without treatment and the impact of antivenom. A new, safer but expensive antivenom promises a shift in the debate from whether to how much and when.
Published Version
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