A Case Report of a Bite From the Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) Managed with Regional Anesthesia

We report a case of an adult male who presented with a large lower extremity wound after a crocodile bite. The patient was managed with initial debridement and irrigation and serial wound care entirely under regional anesthesia at the bedside. The patient did not develop wound infection, eventually receiving a skin graft with good functional outcomes. Regional anesthesia techniques are increasingly being used in the trauma setting, and their versatility allows for their use in multiple settings, by practitioners with limited experience and in resource-limited environments. No specific guidelines exist for performance of neuraxial techniques in the setting of animal bite injuries, but concerns about infectious complications have been raised. Regional anesthesia techniques may be useful in the management of extremity trauma due to crocodile attacks without infectious complications. They may reduce utilization of theatre resources and reduce opioid requirements.
Source: Wilderness and Environmental Medicine - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research