A study of clinical profile of patients with snake bite attending a tertiary care hospital in the north bank of the Brahmaputra: A hospital based cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: Snake bite envenomation is a neglected tropical disease which needs urgent medical attention and anti-snake venom (ASV) infusion but is often overlooked and under-reported owing to the age-old tradition of local aid by quacks, poor transportation facilities, and lack of public awareness. This leads to delays in hospitalization and causes increased morbidity and mortality. WHO’s global target is to reduce the number of snake bite deaths to half by 2030 and India needs to play an important role in achieving the target. Aims and Objectives: (a) To study the clinical profile of patients, 12 years of age or above, presenting with snake bites, attending OPD and Emergency in the Department of Medicine, TMCH. (b) To study the effectiveness of ASV and adverse effects following its use. Materials and Methods: (a) Study design—hospital based cross-sectional study. (b) Duration—1st January 2020 to 30th June 2022. (c) Number of cases—221. Results: Out of 221 cases, non-venomous bites and venomous bites were 88.2% and 11.7%, respectively. Out of the venomous cases, 61.5% were hemotoxic and 38.4% were neurotoxic. A total of three patients died during our study and all of these were from neurotoxic bites. Conclusion: Snake bite is an important rural and occupational hazard. Delay in hospitalization following snake bite creates a hindrance in timely administration of ASV leading to deleterious effects which may prove fatal. In the present study neurotoxic bites proved to be more fatal in comparison to hemotoxic bites.