Efficacy of antiophidic sera available in Ecuador for the treatment of snakebites

Abstract

Introduction. Ophidian accidents are a health problem that affects 5.4 million people a year. They are more frequent in the Latin American region, especially in tropical and subtropical areas with elevated levels of biodiversity, such as Ecuador, which has around 240 ophidian species, 15% of which are poisonous. Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of antiphonic sera available in Ecuador for the treatment of snakebites, considering the diversity of venomous snake species in the country. Methodology. A literature review was carried out, based on the analysis of selected studies using inclusion and exclusion criteria, published since 2019, in scientific sources such as: PubMed, Google Scholar, Medigraphic, Medline, Elsevier, Scopus, Scielo, Dialnet, among others, and official pages of the World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization and Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador. Results. A total of 7090 cases were reported in Ecuador between 2019 and 2023, with prevalence in the provinces of Manabí, Morona Santiago, and Orellana. The most frequent accidents are caused by snakes of the family viperadae, such as: bothrops atrox or equis del oriente, bothrops asper (equis) and bothrops b. atrox (pitalala). For the treatment of bites, the polyspecific antiophidic sera SAO-B and SAO-C imported from Costa Rica, Mexico and Brazil are used. Conclusion. The efficacy of antiophidic sera in Ecuador is approximately 70%, their range is reduced because they are not developed with local snake toxins, which require the administration of high doses. Side effects are associated with anaphylactic conditions and serum sickness. In addition, no evidence was found pointing to the antivenom as a cause of severe complications. General area of study: Medicine. Specific area of study: Tropical medicine. Type of study: Bibliographic review.