Thrombotic microangiopathy following a white-lipped pit viper envenomation.

Certain snake envenomation patients with consumptive coagulopathy, termed venom-induced consumption coagulopathy, develop thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Due to predominant renal involvement, TMA is said to resemble haemolytic uraemic syndrome and is treated with haemodialysis. We present a case of a young male who presented to the emergency department after being bitten by a white-lipped pit viper (Trimeresurus albolabris). He developed heart failure in addition to acute kidney injury secondary to TMA. He was treated with 30 vials of anti-snake venom according to national guidelines and underwent haemodialysis. Despite haemodialysis, the patient's ventilatory parameters continued to worsen, necessitating invasive mechanical ventilation. Thus, he was initiated on plasma exchange therapy, to which the patient responded well. TMA has not been reported in Trimeresurus envenomations yet, to the best of our knowledge. Additionally, plasma exchange therapy can be considered an adjunctive therapy for snakebite patients who develop TMA.

Management of Snakebite-Induced Thrombotic Microangiopathy (TMA) With Plasmapheresis.

Snakebites affect a lot of people in India. Of these, the hemotoxic snakebites may induce a consumptive coagulopathy, which has been termed now as "Venom-Induced Consumptive Coagulopathy" (VICC). Some patients with VICC develop Thrombotic Microangiopathy (TMA). The primary end-organ damage in TMA is renal, for which hemodialysis is the mainstay of treatment. Recently there has been some focus on plasma exchange as an adjunctive treatment for TMA. Here we present a case of a young male who developed snakebite-induced TMA and who was successfully managed with plasma exchange.