Case Report
Year: 2023 | Month: May | Volume: 10 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 99-104
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20230514
Lonomia Obliqua Caterpillar Encounter in Guyana: 29-Year-Old European Tourist Who Develops Coagulopathy
Dwayne Kellman1, Andy Walcott2, Esan Reid3, Vedprakash Etwaria4
1,2,3,4Emeregency Department, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Georgetown, Guyana.
Corresponding Author: Dwayne Kellman
ABSTRACT
Background: Envenomation cases in Guyana are primarily from snake bite wounds and result in haemorrhagic syndromes developing. Although Guyana shares borders with Brazil there haven’t been published cases of Lonomia obliqua caterpillar encounters.
Case Presentation: Here we present the case of a 29-year-old, previously healthy European male tourist who developed haematuria and ecchymosis after stepping on a Lonomia obliqua caterpillar. He had abnormal prothrombin and partial thromboplastin times with no progression to renal failure or intracranial haemorrhage. The venom from these caterpillars affects both the inflammatory and coagulation systems. Treatment with antilonomic serum is recommended and due to pro-thrombotic effects of cryoprecipitate and fresh plasma these are not recommended.
Outcome: The patient was admitted and on day two received antilonomic serum which was sourced from Brazil as it was not readily available locally. After a ten-day hospital stay, he was discharged with normalization of his prothrombin and partial thromboplastin times.
Keywords: [Lonomia obliqua, Caterpillar, Coagulopathy, Guyana]
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