Abstract Number: PB0138
Meeting: ISTH 2020 Congress
Theme: Coagulation and Natural Anticoagulants » Animal Models in Thrombosis and Hemostasis
Background: Envenomation by the European adder (Vipera berus) is an important medical emergency. V.berus venom contains both pro- and anticoagulant toxins, the overall in-vivo effects of which are unclear. Dogs are more commonly bitten than humans, making them an accessible natural model for investigation of the clinical effects of envenomation.
Aims: To describe the haemostatic status of dogs after v.berus envenomation, compared to a group of healthy control dogs. And, to investigate any differences between dogs treated with and without antivenom.
Methods: Citrated platelet-poor plasma was collected from 26 dogs envenomated by v.berus at presentation, 12 hours (h), 24 h, 36 h and 14 days post bite, and from 28 healthy controls at a single time point. Thrombin generation (TG) was initiated with three different triggers (no trigger, tissue factor (TF) 0.5 pM, or TF 0.5 pM and phospholipids (PLs) 4 µM). At each time point, comparisons were made between cases and controls as well as between antivenom and non-antivenom treated dogs. P values of < 0.05 were considered significant. Bonferroni correction was applied for multiple comparisons.
Results: When TG was initiated without trigger, or with TF alone, lag time (LT) was shorter and peak higher at all time points in envenomated dogs compared with controls (figure 1). After initiation with both TF and PLs, LT and peak were only changed at presentation and at 36 hours post bite. Endogenous thrombin potential was higher at all time points in envenomated dogs compared to controls, with all three triggers. LT was shorter in non-antivenom treated dogs, compared with antivenom treated dogs, at 12- and 24-hours post envenomation, with all three triggers (figure 2).
Conclusions: Dogs in this study were hypercoagulable following v.berus envenomation. Venom-induced consumptive coagulopathy was not observed. Dogs treated with antivenom may be less hypercoagulable than their non-antivenom treated counterparts.
[Peak Thrombin]
[Lag Time]
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Harjen HJ, Hellum M, Oscarson M, Rørtveit R, Anfinsen KP, Moldal ER, Henriksson CE. Thrombin Generation Following Vipera berus Envenomation: A Canine Model [abstract]. Res Pract Thromb Haemost. 2020; 4 (Suppl 1). https://abstracts.isth.org/abstract/thrombin-generation-following-vipera-berus-envenomation-a-canine-model/. Accessed September 21, 2023.« Back to ISTH 2020 Congress
ISTH Congress Abstracts - https://abstracts.isth.org/abstract/thrombin-generation-following-vipera-berus-envenomation-a-canine-model/