Venomous snakebite in eastern Ecuador.

Treatment outcome of 294 hospitalized victims of snakebite injuries in Eastern Ecuador are reported, documenting high rates of morbidity and mortality. One or more major complications occurred in 25% of patients. Complications included blood loss severe enough to require transfusion (29 patients), abscess (26 patients), intracranial hemorrhage (15 patients) and major tissue loss (10 patients). Sixteen patients died, yielding a mortality rate of 5.4%. Death resulted from intracranial hemorrhage in 12 patients and from sequelae of hypovolemic shock in 4 patients.