A META-ANALYSIS OF THE ADVANTAGES OF LOW AND HIGH DOSAGE OF ANTI-VENOM SERUM TO TREAT SNAKE BITES

Zhicheng Zhong^#, Zhanzheng Yang^#, Rong Liu, Rongde Lai, Liangbo Zeng, Ping Yan, Min Jiang, Guibin Chen^*

Department of Emergency, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510120, China

Introduction: One of the fatal illnesses requiring emergency measures is the venomous snake bite, which is critical to the patients’ health. The current study aims at comparing and analyzing the clinical impact of low and high dosage of anti-venom serum (AVS) upon patients. 

Materials and methods: We systematically looked up 7 databases, namely VIP, Howie, Wanfang, web of science, Cochran, Cochrane, EMBASE, and PubMed, for including the papers which have been published on the impact of different dosage of AVS upon the patients through RTCs. A number of analysis indices were coagulation indexes (PT, TT), myocardial enzyme indices (AST, LDH, CK, CK-MB), kidney and liver function indices (alt, BUN), patients' acceptance, hospitalization, allergic reactions, and rate of cure. 

Results: We included ten references in total with RCTs, which were divided into the experimental (the group which received low dosage of AVS, n=1856) and the control group (the group which received a high dosage of AVS, n= 656). Based on the meta-analysis results, no significant difference was observed in TT, CK-MB, CK, LDH, and AST. However, we observed significant difference in Pt, bun, hospitalization time, adverse reactions, level of ALT, patients' acceptance, allergic reactions, and rate of cure.

Conclusions: The dosage of AVS plays a crucial role in treating venomous snake-beaten patients. The current work could be employed as a clinical reference.