A Case Report of a Bite From the Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) Managed with Regional Anesthesia.

Wilderness Environ Med

College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Parirenyatwa Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe.

Published: December 2019

AI Article Synopsis

  • Crocodile attack injuries, although rare, pose significant trauma risks in communities near water bodies and present unique challenges in medical treatment.
  • A case study of an adult male with a severe crocodile bite illustrates the effective use of regional anesthesia for wound management, including initial debridement and subsequent care, all conducted at the bedside without the need for operating room resources.
  • The findings suggest that regional anesthesia can be a beneficial approach for managing extremity traumas, minimizing complications and resource use, while also reducing the need for opioids.

Article Abstract

Crocodile attack injuries plague communities near bodies of water and continue to be an infrequent but significant form of trauma encountered in our medical facility. Regional anesthesia techniques are a novel adjunct to treatment and may facilitate simplified definitive management and better utilization of constrained operating room resources. We report a case of an adult male who presented with a large lower extremity wound after a crocodile bite. The patient was managed with initial debridement and irrigation and serial wound care entirely under regional anesthesia at the bedside. The patient did not develop wound infection, eventually receiving a skin graft with good functional outcomes. Regional anesthesia techniques are increasingly being used in the trauma setting, and their versatility allows for their use in multiple settings, by practitioners with limited experience and in resource-limited environments. No specific guidelines exist for performance of neuraxial techniques in the setting of animal bite injuries, but concerns about infectious complications have been raised. Regional anesthesia techniques may be useful in the management of extremity trauma due to crocodile attacks without infectious complications. They may reduce utilization of theatre resources and reduce opioid requirements.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wem.2019.06.013DOI Listing

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