Local swelling in snakebite envenomation: Are we missing something for want of a name?

Envenomations caused by viperid and some elapid snakebites are typically accompanied by local swelling and signs of inflammation that appear within a few hours of bite and spread centripetally for a few days. Often these changes are mistaken for signs of infection and are misdiagnosed as 'cellulitis'. This potentially results in unwarranted use of antibiotics. There are important clinical differences between the swelling caused by local envenomation vis-à-vis cellulitis. The term venom-induced spreading sterile inflammation (VISSI) is more appropriate as a diagnosis name for the local swelling caused by snakebite envenomation.