The clinical course and treatment of black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) envenomations: a narrative review.
Mark AaltenCarsten F J BakhuisIlias AsaggauMaaike WulfseMaurits F van BinsbergenEran R A N ArntzMax F TroenokarsoJashvin L R Oediet DoebeUbah MahamuudLeila BelbachirMyrthe MeursNastya A KovalenkoMarcel A G van der HeydenPublished in: Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.) (2021)
Among the included case reports and case series, D. polylepis envenomations most frequently resulted in decreased respiratory function, sweating and paralysis. The onset of symptoms usually occurred within 60 minutes. Neurological symptoms occurred more often than symptoms of autonomic dysfunction. In the reported cases most patients (26/29) received antivenom and most survived (25/29). We recommend the reporting of additional structured case reports to improve future analyses on the clinical course of envenomations, in order to improve public health response to D. polylepis envenomations.