DOI: 10.36347/sjmcr.2018.v06i03.020

Pages: 188-190

Snake bite is an imperative cause of mortality and morbidity in SriLanka. The Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii) is responsible for 30–40% of all snakebites and the most number of life-threatening bites of any snake in Sri Lanka. The neurological consequences of snake bite are predominantly the result of inhibition of neuromuscular transmission. We describe the first documented case of acute and transient bilateral blindness following Russell’s viper. A 34-year-old farmer presented to the emergency department(ED) following a Russell’s viper bite on his right foot. Forty-five minutes after snake bite, he developed blurred vision followed by complete bilateral blindness for nearly 12 hours. There is a broad clinical spectrum of nervous system features in Russell’s viper bite. It ranges from ptosis to complete blindness. The early administration of antivenin is a vital therapeutic measure. The timely administration of antivenin completely reverses all clinical manifestations of systemic envenomation.