Acosta JS, Cifuentes Tarquino J, Arteaga JE. Bothrops bite and cardiac complications: A case report and review of literature. World J Cardiol 2025; 17(7): 106828 [DOI: 10.4330/wjc.v17.i7.106828]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Juan S Acosta, MD, Department of Cardiology, Medicadiz, Carrera 12 Sur No. 93-21, Ibague 730001, Tolima, Colombia. js.acosta89@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Cardiol. Jul 26, 2025; 17(7): 106828 Published online Jul 26, 2025. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v17.i7.106828
Bothrops bite and cardiac complications: A case report and review of literature
Juan S Acosta, Jennifer Cifuentes Tarquino, Joshua E Arteaga
Juan S Acosta, Jennifer Cifuentes Tarquino, Joshua E Arteaga, Department of Cardiology, Medicadiz, Ibague 730001, Tolima, Colombia
Co-first authors: Juan S Acosta and Jennifer Cifuentes Tarquino.
Author contributions: Acosta JS and Cifuentes Tarquino J made contributions to conception of the study, patient care, interpretation of clinical findings, critical revision, and in giving final approval of the version to be published, they contributed equally to this article, they are the co-first authors of this manuscript; Arteaga JE proofreading; Acosta JS, Cifuentes Tarquino J, and Arteaga JE contributed to data collection, manuscript drafting; and all authors thoroughly reviewed and endorsed the final manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Juan S Acosta, MD, Department of Cardiology, Medicadiz, Carrera 12 Sur No. 93-21, Ibague 730001, Tolima, Colombia. js.acosta89@gmail.com
Received: March 9, 2025 Revised: April 30, 2025 Accepted: June 27, 2025 Published online: July 26, 2025 Processing time: 136 Days and 17 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Bothrops envenomation is a common medical emergency in tropical areas and is characterized by local and systemic complications, such as edema, coagulopathy, and tissue necrosis. Cardiovascular manifestations are rare and poorly documented, contributing to the complexity of its clinical management.
CASE SUMMARY
We described a rare cardiac complication in a 65-year-old female patient, who initially presented with mild Bothrops envenomation. She experienced localized edema and erythema but with a lack of systemic symptoms. During the evaluation we detected asymptomatic sinus bradycardia and QTc prolongation (523 milliseconds) that progressed to severe arrhythmias that required implantation of a permanent pacemaker. Management included the administration of polyvalent antiphonic serum, fresh frozen plasma transfusions, and intensive care unit monitoring. Imaging and laboratory studies ruled out ischemic, metabolic, or electrolytic etiologies for the cardiac alterations. The patient recovered favorably after the intervention and was discharged without further complications.
CONCLUSION
This case underscored the need for cardiac monitoring after snakebite envenomation as well as further research on venom-induced cardiotoxic mechanisms.
Core Tip: A 65-year-old female presented with mild Bothrops envenomation and developed unexpected cardiac complications, including sinus bradycardia and QTc prolongation. The cardiac complications progressed to severe arrhythmias requiring a pacemaker. Despite no initial systemic signs, intensive care, antivenom, and plasma transfusions were necessary for a successful recovery. This case underscored the need for cardiovascular monitoring after snakebites.
