Resumen

CUESTA, Jenny; PENA, Lina  y  ZULUAGA, Andrés F. Is antibiotic prophylaxis necessary in ophidism?. Infect. [online]. 2008, vol.12, n.1, pp.54-63. ISSN 0123-9392.

Ophidism remains as an important public health problem, especially in tropical countries. Although the mortality related to snake bites was notably reduced with the introduction of antidote sera, the incidence of complications, including infectious diseases, is not better. One of the multiple factors associated with the high persistence of physical and psychological sequels is the ongoing controversy about topics like antibiotic prophylaxis. In this review, the reasons that are commonly exposed by some physicians to support the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in ophidism are confronted against the experimental and clinical evidence available contraindicating its use.

Palabras clave : snake bites; poisoning; chemoprevention; antibiotic prophylaxis.

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