Abstract
This hospital based prospective study was conducted from September 2009 to September 2011.All the patients irrespective of age and sex, who reported with history of snake bite were included in the study. A total 169 snake bite patients, consisting of 116 (68.7%) male and 53 (31.3%) female [mean (SD) age 32±12 years] were admitted to the hospital during the study period, the ratio being 2.2:1. The majority of victims belonged to rural areas (67.5%) and most vulnerable occupation group was the people involved in agricultural activities (48.5%). The study population was predominately bitten outdoors (62.7%). Most of the time people could not identify the snake (52.1%) and among identified poisonous snakes Elapidae and Viperidae type were 15.4% and 13.0% respectively. The maximum cases of snakebite were recorded in the 3rd quarter of the year (67.4%) and peak incidence of snake bite was recorded in the time between 6:00 PM to 12:00 midnight (30.2%). In 69.2% of cases, the site of snake bite was lower limbs. The commonest manifestation was fright (85.2%) followed by pain at local site (57.9%). Majority of the victims were treated with ASV (81.1%) and most of them survived (92%).
Highlights
Snakebite is a major public health problem throughout the world especially in tropical and sub-tropical countries
This hospital based prospective study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine in collaboration with the Department of Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh from September 2009 to September 2011.All the patients irrespective of age and sex, who reported with history of snake bite were included in the study
Rural area indicates that snake envenoming affects largely the poor people depending on agriculture as source of livelihood
Summary
Snakebite is a major public health problem throughout the world especially in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Snake venom is probably the oldest known poison to mankind and has been described in oldest medical writings and myths. Since the dawn of civilization, snakes have inspired a mystic feeling of good and evil in human mind. It has appeared in various mythologies, either as demon or as a god. In Greek mythology it represented Goddess Hygeia and was worshipped along with Asclepius, the God of Health. The tradition is carried over to the modern time and the snake has found a place in the universal symbol of medical profession
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