Coagulation Profile of Children with Snake Envenomation in Yola, Nigeria

Background/Objective: Coagulation profile includes Prothrombin Time (PT), Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT), and Platelet count. It is a common hematological test use to determine the degree of coagulopathy cause by snake venom. Snake bite envenomation is a common rural accident. This study aims to evaluate coagulation profile of children with snake bite injuries in Yola, Nigeria.

Materials and Methods: 137 subjects comprising of 69 children with snake bite (21 females and 48 males with mean age of 10.465.64 years) and 68 clinically healthy subjects (with mean age of 11.23 comprising of 29 female and 39 males) participated in this present study. Platelet count was estimated using sysmex XP 300 hematology analyzer. PT and APTT values were determined in the blood using one-stage prothrombin test method and Modified Kaolin Method respectively.

Results: The mean value of APTT test in patients was 47.0 seconds while that of the control group was 39.47 seconds, P< 0.05. The mean value of the PT test and the International Normalized Ratio (INR) in patients were 29.90 and 6.30 respectively P < 0.05. The correlation of PT versus APTT value was significant with the correlation coefficient (r) of 0.86 at P < 0.05.

Conclusion: Snake bite occurred more in male children than females. Children with snake envenomation had prolonged PT and APTT time as well as thrombocytopenia. It is believed that information provided in this study will assist to improve clinical management of this group of patients in Yola, Nigeria.