@article{fdi:010060464,
  title = {{U}se of antivenoms for the treatment of envenomation by {E}lapidae snakes in {G}uinea, {S}ub-{S}aharan {A}frica},
  author = {{B}alde, {M}. {C}. and {C}hippaux, {J}ean-{P}hilippe and {B}oiro, {M}. {Y}. and {S}tock, {R}. {P}. and {M}assougbodji, {A}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground: {I}n {G}uinea {E}lapids are responsible for 20% of envenomations. {T}he associated case fatality rate ({CFR}) ranged 15-27%, irrespective of treatment. {R}esults: {W}e studied 77 neurotoxic envenomations divided in 3 groups: a set of patients that received only traditional or symptomatic treatments, and two other groups that received either 2 or 4 initial vials of {A}ntivipmyn ({R}) {A}frica renewed as necessary. {CFR} was 27.3%, 15.4% and 17.6%, respectively. {A}lthough antivenom treatment was likely to reduce {CFR}, it didn't seem to have an obvious clinical benefit for the patients, suggesting a low treatment efficacy. {M}ean delay to treatment or clinical stages were not significantly different between the patients who recovered and the patients who died, or between groups. {I}nterpretation of these results is complicated by the lack of systematic studies under comparable conditions. {O}f particular importance is the absence of assisted ventilation, available to patients in all the other clinical studies of neurotoxic envenomation. {C}onclusion: {T}he apparent lack of clinical benefit may have several causes. {T}he hypothesis of a limited therapeutic window, i.e. an insufficient formation of antigen-antibody complexes once toxins are bound to their targets and/or distributed beyond the reach of antivenom, should be explored.},
  keywords = {{E}lapid ; {N}eurotoxins ; {T}reatment ; {A}ntivenom ; {G}uinea ; {A}frica ; {GUINEE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {V}enomous {A}nimals and {T}oxins {I}ncluding {T}ropical {D}iseases},
  volume = {19},
  numero = {},
  pages = {},
  ISSN = {1678-9199},
  year = {2013},
  DOI = {10.1186/1678-9199-19-6},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010060464},
}