Evaluation of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis definition of major bleeding in Arizona rattlesnake bites.

Introduction: In 2023, a group of experts proposed that a definition of major bleeding in pharmaceutically anticoagulated patients be used in all snakebite trials. This includes bleeding that results in death, is life-threatening, causes chronic sequelae, or consumes major healthcare resources, including bleeding into a major area or hemoglobin concentration decrease ≥20 g/L. We hypothesized that a decline in hemoglobin concentration ≥20 g/L is common but rarely clinically significant in our population of Arizona rattlesnake bite patients.

Methods: Poison center records of rattlesnake bites in humans from 2018 through 2022 were retrospectively reviewed and assessed for major bleeding by the above criteria.

Results: Four hundred and eighty-one patients met the inclusion criteria, of whom 265 (55.1%) had a hemoglobin concentration decrease ≥20 g/L. No patients died, and there was no evidence of bleeding into a critical organ. Three patients (1.1%) received blood transfusions. A decrease in hemoglobin concentration ≥20 g/L was 100% sensitive for identifying the major bleeding-associated outcomes; however, specificity was only 45.2%. Measures of healthcare utilization and chronic sequelae were somewhat higher in patients with a decrease in hemoglobin concentration ≥20 g/L.

Discussion: Laboratory manifestations of hemotoxicity were common in this population, but hemorrhage was rare. While over half of patients met the major bleeding criterion of a decline in hemoglobin concentration ≥20 g/L, only 1.1% had bleeding that was potentially life-threatening as measured by receipt of a red blood cell transfusion. None died or had bleeding into a critical area. While nonspecific for major bleeding, a drop in hemoglobin concentration correlated with worse envenomation severity: these patients received more vials of antivenom, had a higher medical bill, a longer hospital stay, and were less likely to report full recovery at 90 days.

Conclusions: A decrease in hemoglobin concentration ≥20 g/L should not be used as evidence of major bleeding for Arizona rattlesnake envenomation studies, but it may have a role as an indirect marker of envenomation severity.