Envenomations by Rattlesnakes Thought to Be Dead

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Abstract
Even after suffering potentially fatal injuries, venomous snakes are capable of injuring humans. Klauber performed experiments showing that rattlesnake heads are dangerous for 20 to 60 minutes after decapitation.1 We prospectively collected data on patients admitted to our toxicology referral center for rattlesnake bites. Thirty-four patients were admitted for rattlesnake bites from June 1997 to April 1998; of these, five patients (14.7 percent) — all men between 20 and 48 years old — were bitten by snakes that had been fatally injured and were presumed to be dead.