Effectiveness of late and very late antivenom administration on recovery from snakebite-induced coagulopathy in French Guiana: a population-based studyResearch in context

Summary: Background: Snakebite (SB) envenoming is an acute emergency requiring early care delivery. However, sometimes, patients can take several hours before receiving antivenom (AV). We conducted this study to assess the effectiveness of antivenom in the recovery of clotting parameters in patients consulting tardily after SB envenoming in French Guiana. The primary endpoint of our study was to investigate the time needed from SB to recovery from SB-induced coagulopathy. The secondary endpoint was to investigate the time needed from AV administration to recovery from SB-induced coagulopathy in patients receiving AV (late or very late administration). Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Cayenne General Hospital between January 2016 and September 2023. We included all patients hospitalized for SB envenoming who either did not receive AV or received it more than 6 h after SB. We excluded patients who received antivenom in less than 6 h from the SB and those who received incomplete AV doses. Findings: We included 58 patients in the No AV group, 51 in the late AV group (6 h ≤ AV