Snake Bite Envenomation in a Tertiary Care Centre.

Area of Science:

• Clinical Medicine
• Toxicology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Snake bites cause an estimated 20,000 annual deaths in India.
• This study investigates snake bite epidemiology, severity predictors, and treatment outcomes in a tertiary care center.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate snake bite epidemiology and identify predictors of severity.
• To analyze the relationship between snake type, clinical severity, complications, and outcomes.
• To evaluate the usage patterns of polyvalent anti-snake venom (ASV).

Main Methods:

• Serial recruitment of indoor patients with a definitive history of snake bite.
• Data collection included patient demographics, bite details, clinical presentation, complications, and ASV administration.
• Utilized the Snakebite Severity Score (SSS) for outcome correlation.

Main Results:

• The majority of patients were males aged 21-40 years, with most bites occurring on the lower limb during the day.
• Common presentations included local swelling, systemic bleeding, and neuromuscular weakness.
• Complications such as respiratory paralysis and acute kidney injury were observed. Early ASV administration (within 4 hours) was associated with better outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Supportive treatments like mechanical ventilation and blood transfusion correlate with poor outcomes.
• Early ASV administration is crucial for better patient outcomes.
• The Snakebite Severity Score significantly correlates with recovery, especially in vasculotoxic snake bites.