Analysis of the influencing factors on wound infection at early stage of venomous snakebites

Zhao Dongxu; Han Songmei; Zhang Zhigang; Liang Qiang; Peng Chang; Lu Dongyuan; Wu Jianbo; Peng Baohong

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1002-1949.2025.06.005

Abstract：Objective To explore the influencing factors of early wound infection in venomous snakebite patients.Methods Clinical data of 1 483 patients diagnosed with snakebite in the Second Naval Hospital of Southern Theater Command of People's Liberation Army from January 2020 to December 2023 were retrospectively collected.A total of 1 402 patients were included in the final analysis according to the exclusion criteria.Patients were divided into wound infection group(416 cases)and non-wound infection group(986 cases).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of early wound infection.Results The proportions of Naja atra bite,injuries in summer,and the levels of white blood cell(WBC)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)of patients in the wound infection group were significantly higher than those in the non-wound infection group(P＜0.05).The proportion of patients with external application of herbal medicine in the wound infection group was significantly higher than that in the non-wound infection group(P＜0.001).The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that Naja atra bite(OR=7.765,95％CI 1.704-35.379,P=0.008),injury in Summer(OR=1.306,95％CI 1.021-1.671,P=0.034),increased AST(OR=1.006,95％CI 1.000-1.012,P=0.037)and external application of herbal medicine(OR=2.765,95％CI 1.807-4.230,P=0.000)were risk factors for wound infection at the early stage of injury.Conclusions The incidence of wound infection after venomous snakebites is high in southern Hainan province.Patients with Naja atra bite and injury in summer are prone to wound infection.The application of herbal medicine after injury is a risk factor for early wound infection.Elevated AST is positively correlated with wound infection,although the difference is statistically significant,it has no actual clinical significance because of the AST levels of two groups within the normal range.