MedPath

Study Comparing Modified Lee White Clotting Time Against Twenty Minute Whole Blood Clotting Test in Snakebite Victims

Completed
Conditions
Coagulation Defect
Snake Bites
Registration Number
NCT03890016
Lead Sponsor
Appu Suseel
Brief Summary

20 minute Whole Blood Clotting Test(20'WBCT) recommended by World Health Organisation guidelines is probably the most routinely employed bed side screening tool in the country.

The Modified Lee and White (MLW) method gives a value which when performed serially gives a trend in clotting time which the investigators hypothesise to be a better tool in serially assessing the victim compared to the 20'WBCT.

The investigators propose that delayed reading of both MLW and 20'WBCT to check for clot stability at 30 minutes also provides added information in management of snake bite victims.

Detailed Description

Envenomation by snakes is common in India. Hematotoxic bites cause the highest morbidity and mortality in Kerala, a state in the south of India.

20 minute Whole Blood Clotting Test(20'WBCT) recommended by World Health Organisation guidelines is probably the most routinely employed bed side screening tool in the country. It is the tool of choice due to its cost effectiveness in low and middle income countries (LMIC).

The reliability of 20'WBCT is questionable with respect to not just its rapidity but also its reliability. There is no standardisation for the test and procedure.

Modified Lee White (MLW) Method for coagulation is a cheap bed side test used as part of the standard treatment protocol of snake bite victims. The MLW method gives a value which when performed serially gives a trend in clotting time which the investigators hypothesise to be a better tool in serially assessing the victim compared to the World Health Organisation recommended 20'WBCT.

The investigators also propose that delayed reading of both MLW and 20'WBCT to check for clot stability also provides added information in management of snake bite victims.

The bed side coagulation test done, forms the trigger to commence antivenom in snake bite victims with hematotoxicity in resource limited settings.

Lee White (MLW) Method for coagulation is a test that has been employed for decades to assess coagulation in Jubilee Mission Hospital, Medical College and Research Institute in Thrissur for snake bite victims. It is a cheap bed side test used as part of the standard treatment protocol of snake bite victims. The MLW method gives a value which when performed serially gives a trend in clotting time which the investigators hypothesise to be a better tool in serially assessing the victim compared to the World Health Organisation recommended 20'WBCT.

The investigators also propose that delayed reading of both MLW and 20'WBCT to check for clot stability or 'clot lysis' also provides added information in management of snake bite victims.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
230
Inclusion Criteria
  1. All victims of snake bite presenting to the emergency department AND
  2. Consenting to be part of the study
Exclusion Criteria
  1. Those not providing a written informed consent OR
  2. Those on anticoagulants or antiplatelets OR
  3. With a known hematological disorder OR
  4. A known history of chronic liver disease OR
  5. Received antivenom or blood products following snakebite at another centre

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Sensitivity and specificity of serial Modified Lee White Method(MLW) in comparison with twenty minute Whole Blood Clotting Test in detecting coagulopathy in snakebite victims.48 hours of snakebite
Sensitivity and Specificity of admission Modified Lee White Method(MLW) and twenty minute Whole Blood Clotting Test in detecting coagulopathy in snakebite victims.48 hours

Comparing MLW and 20'WBCT to gold standard tests like Prothrombin Time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Time to detection of hematotoxic envenomation in MLW and 20'WBCT48 hours
Sensitivity of admission 20'WBCT and MLW to diagnose Russells viper (Daboia ruselli) envenomation48hours
Sensitivity of admission 20'WBCT and MLW to diagnose Hump-nosed pit viper (Hypnale hypnale) envenomation48hours
Sensitivity and specificity of delayed reading of clotting time and clotting test at 30 minutes in detecting coagulopathy48 hours

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute

🇮🇳

Thrissur, Kerala, India

Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute
🇮🇳Thrissur, Kerala, India

MedPath

Empowering clinical research with data-driven insights and AI-powered tools.

© 2025 MedPath, Inc. All rights reserved.