Clinical Profile and Complications of Snake Bite Envenomation: Study from Tertiary Care Center Bikaner

BACKGROUND Snake bite is a widely distributed but neglected condition being recognized as neglected tropical disease by WHO in 2009. There are about 250 species of snakes are found in India of them 52 species are known to be venomous. Every year 80, 000 people are reported as victims of snakebite and about 25, 000 to 50, 000 people are reported as fatal victims of Snakebite mostly from the down trodden Rural communities of developing India who lack the financial backups & basic awareness thousands of snakebite victims die, or are permanently maimed The present study was conducted in order to assess the clinical profile and complication of snakebite cases reported to tertiary care institute in North West Rajasthan. METHODS This was a prospective study conducted at S P MEDICAL COLLEGE, BIKANER. One hundred thirty eight adult patients admitted with history of snakebite in Department of Medicine, S. P. Medical College, Bikaner from January 2012 to December 2012 were studied The demographic and clinical details of each case were obtained from the patients, their relatives and analyzed. RESULTS A total of 138 patient were admitted in our medicine department, Most common age group is 20-40 years. Adult males are more prone to the bites in rainy seasons (May to August) during day time mostly involving their lower limbs. Poisonous bites are more common than non poisonous in hospitalized patients. The mortality rate of our study was 5.79 %. CONCLUSION Snake bite though preventable in principles, remains to be one of the common medical emergency being more frequent in rural agricultural and farm workers, thus becoming a sort of occupational hazard. More viper bites are seen in this area than elapsidae bites. So role of monovalent asv was more in comparison to polyvalent asv, if made available than undue complication of administration of polyvalent asv can be further prevented. Morbidity and Mortality were more common among patient reported late to hospital thus emphasis on early transport and primary first aid need to be emphasized to limit the sufferings.