En relación a Cleopatra y los venenos de serpiente

• Ricardo Espinoza G ^[1]
  1. [1] Hospital del Trabajador de Santiago
• Localización: Revista Médica de Chile, ISSN-e 0034-9887, Vol. 129, Nº. 10, 2001, págs. 1221-1221
• Idioma: español
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Apropos of Cleopatra and snake venom
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen

  • Cleopatra VII, one of the last Egyptian sovereigns of the ptolomeic dynasty, is envisioned as a mythic figure, surrounded by intrigues and mystery. Her mysterious death was caused, according to history, by a snake bite. This article shows some instances of great Cleopatra's life and the state of the art on snake venoms. Even at the present time, snake bites are a public health problem in Asia, Africa, Central and South America, causing more than 25000 deaths every year. Most snake venoms have a protein structure and cause neurotoxic and hemolytic effects, altering coagulation and fibrinolysis. The mortality due to snake bites fluctuates between 1 and 22%. Specific treatment includes the use of specific antiserums with highly purified components (Rev Méd Chile 2001; 129: 1222-26).