CHARACTERISTICS, CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH SNAKE BITES TREATED AT AL-DHAID HOSPITAL IN...

Snakebite envenomation stands as a neglected tropical disease which creates major health and economic challenges that affect mostly people who work in agriculture and rural areas. The UAE has low snakebite incidence rates but the dangerous systemic effects of snakebites require knowledge about local epidemiology and clinical presentation and treatment results.

The study analyzed snakebite cases from Al-Dhaid Hospital in UAE during twelve years to identify patient characteristics and clinical indicators and evaluate treatment effectiveness and identify variables that caused longer hospital stays.

The study analyzed all confirmed snakebite cases which occurred from January 2012 through December 2023. The researchers used structured forms to obtain demographic information along with clinical and laboratory data. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 25, employing Fisher's exact test and independent-sample t-tests to identify associations between patient variables and length of hospital stay (LOS).

Out of 153 patients, 91% were male, and 90% were aged between 19 and 60 years. The majority (57%) presented to the hospital within 24 hours of the bite, and 54% had a hospital stay shorter than 24 hours. Lower limbs were the most frequent bite site (43%). Local pain (82%) and swelling (36%) were the predominant symptoms, while 88.9% received antivenom. The most affected nationalities were Pakistani (56.9%) and Bangladeshi (17.7%). A prolonged hospital stay was found to be associated with an age of the patient of 60 or older (p = 0.04), an elevated INR of 1.5 or greater (p=0.04) and a prolonged prothrombin time of 15 seconds or greater (p=0.001). Sex differed significantly between LOS groups; male patients were more frequently observed in the short-stay group (p=0.002), indicating shorter hospitalization among men in this cohort. No mortality was recorded during the study period.

Snakebite incidents in Al-Dhaid predominantly affected young male agricultural workers, with most cases being mild and successfully treated through early hospital access and timely antivenom administration. Coagulopathy emerged as the primary morbidity and was linked to longer hospital stays. Strengthening preventive education, promoting protective gear use, and sustaining rapid-response medical systems remain key to minimizing snakebite morbidity in the UAE.