COAGULATION PROFILE IN CASES OF SNAKE BITES.

Abstract

Introduction Snake bite is an important occupational and rural hazard because India had always been a land of Exotic snakes. India is inhabited by more than 60 species of venomous snakes. Objectives 1) To study the coagulation profile in cases of snake bites. 2) To study different clinical manifestation in cases of snake bites. 3) To correlate severity of clinical findings with the results of coagulation profile. Methods- The current studyis a two year cross sectional study, study includes snake bite coming to tertiary care hospital during the period two years. A written informed assent was taken from all the cases remembered for the examination for the treatment, investigations and research purpose. Results- In the current study, during the period of two years, a total 165 study subjects, 91 (55.2%) patients had vasculotoxic bite, Mean age in the current investigation was 34.7 years. The male to female proportion in the current study was 1.6:1. Farmers were affected more with 111 (70.2%) Majority of the cases were admitted within 6 hours of snake bite comprising of 85 (53.8%) cases.Local pain was symptom observed in 133 (84.2%) cases followed by swelling at the site of bite which comprised of 127 (80.4%) cases. The most common presentation of envenomation seen in 60 (65.9%) cases, 20 minute whole blood clotting test (WBCT) in 53 (58.2%) vasculotoxicstudy subjects. APTT was increased in 67 (73.6%) out of 91 vasculotoxic snake bite ases. Bleeding time was increased in 13 (14. 28%) out of 91 vasculotoxicstudy subjects. Thrombocytopenia was seen in 26 (28.6%) out of 91 vasculotoxicstudy subjects. Acute renal failure developed in 11 out of16 cases. Thus, clinical severity is well correlated with the deranged coagulation profile and increased hospital stay. There was no mortality reported in our study. Conclusions Coagulation tests should be routinely performed on all patients presenting to the emergency department with complaints of snake bite, as early detection of coagulopathy reduces the morbidity and prevents the mortality in vasculotoxicstudy subjects.