EVALUATION OF EMERGENCY TREATMENT OF ADDER BITE WITH 5% TANNIC ACID SOLUTION

Abstract

There are thirteen species of vipers distributing in Japan. Among them, adder (Mamushi in Japanese : Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii) is most common except Amami Island, Kagoshima Prefecture and Okinawa Prefecture.Although the injection of anti-Mamushi serum to the Mamushi bite cases is very effective, we used to hesitate the use of the serum because of possible occur of the serum disease. Under the background mentioned above, we have successfully treated nine patients of Mamushi bite in a farm village of Kyoto Prefecture by washing the wounds with 5% tannic acid solution which was first demonstrated by Okonogi et al. in 1970.This method is very easy and useful, and considered to be most appropriate in a case of the following conditions : (1) patient within 15 minutes after bite, (2) patient who has ever treated by anti-Mamushi serum, (3) patient who has allergic constitution, and (4) species of snake bited is doubtful whether it was Mamushi or not.