Clinical characteristics and long-term disabilities in children following

Background: In the Brazilian Amazon, most snakebites are caused by Methods: We retrospectively analyzed sociodemographic and clinical data from patients up to 12 years and 11 months of age treated between January 2010 and December 2023. A total of 258 children who were victims of Results: In the subgroup of children evaluated, the majority were male (63%), were aged over ten years (59.3%), and were from rural areas (96.3%). Over half (51.8%) received medical care within six hours after the bite. The lower limbs were most frequently affected (96.3%). Common local symptoms included pain (100%), edema (96.3%), bleeding (37%), and bruising (29.6%). Secondary infections occurred in 18.5% of cases. Most envenomations were classified as moderate in severity (44.4%). In this subgroup, long-term disabilities were identified in 21 children (77.7%), who presented primarily with intermittent chronic pain (55.5%). Physical examination revealed scars (59.3%), edema (22.2%), and deformities (3.7%). Sensory alterations were noted in tactile (11.1%), pain (25.9%), thermal (22.2%), and vibratory (29.6%) sensitivity. Range of motion was impaired in 37% of cases, and one child exhibited abnormal posture and reflexes. Conclusions: This study highlights a broad spectrum of persistent musculoskeletal sequelae following