A Member of the University of Maryland Medical System   |   In Partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Share

Email PageEmail Print PagePrint

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Mordeduras de serpientes - Overview

Nombres alternativos

Mordeduras de culebras

Definición:

Las mordeduras de serpientes ocurren cuando una serpiente muerde la piel y son emergencias médicas si dicha serpiente es venenosa.

Consideraciones generales:

Las mordeduras de serpientes pueden ser mortales si no se tratan de manera rápida. Debido al tamaño pequeño de sus cuerpos, los niños tienen el mayor riesgo de muerte o de complicaciones graves a causa de dichas mordeduras.

El antídoto correcto puede salvar la vida de una persona y es muy importante llevarla la sala de emergencias lo más pronto posible. Si se tratan en forma apropiada, muchas mordeduras de serpientes no tendrán efectos graves.

Causas:

Las mordeduras de serpientes venenosas abarcan mordeduras por cualquiera de las siguientes especies:

  • Cobra
  • Serpiente víbora cobriza
  • Serpiente coral
  • Serpiente mocasín de agua
  • Serpiente cascabel
  • Diversas serpientes que se encuentran en los zoológicos

Todas las especies de serpientes muerden cuando se sienten amenazadas o sorprendidas, pero la mayoría con frecuencia evita en lo posible los encuentros con las personas y sólo muerden como último recurso.

A las serpientes que se encuentran dentro o cerca del agua a menudo se las confunde con serpientes venenosas. La mayoría de las especies de serpientes son inofensivas y muchas de las mordeduras no son potencialmente mortales, pero a menos que usted esté totalmente seguro de conocer la especie, trate la mordedura seriamente.

  • Reviewed last on: 1/13/2010
  • Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

Referencias

Tintinalli JE, Kelen GD, Stapczynski JS, Ma OJ, Cline DM. Reptile bites. In: Tintinalli JE, Kelen GD, Stapczynski JS, Ma OJ, Cline DM, eds. Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2004:chap 195.

Otten EJ. Venomous animal injuries. In: Marx JA, ed. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 59.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
adam.com
Adam QualityA.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
adam.com
Connect with UMMC
Facebook Twitter YouTube Blog iPhone

Please rate the quality of this article.

Do you find this article to be helpful / informative?
              
Poor                                       Excellent

Do you have any brief comments on this page: (up to 255 characters)

© 2011 University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). All rights reserved.
UMMC is a member of the University of Maryland Medical System,
22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. TDD: 1-800-735-2258 or 1.866.408.6885