Abstract
Background: Snakebite is a public health problem afflicting mainly rural farmers. We seek to examine the profile and management of snakebite cases presenting to the Tamale Teaching Hospital of Ghana over a 30-month period.Methods: One hundred and ninety-two cases of snakebites presenting to the Tamale Teaching Hospital over a 30-month period from January 2016 to June 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Information about the clinical manifestation of the snakebites, treatment instituted as well as the outcome was extracted from patient folders for the analysis.Results: Out of the 192 cases of snakebite, 131 (68.2%) occurred in males. The mean age of the victims was 26.5 years. The major patterns of envenomation were coagulopathy (84.9%) and local swelling/pain (82.8%). The causative snake species was identified in only 11.5% of cases, all of which were vipers. Antivenom was administered in 94.8% of the victims and the average amount administered was 84.64 milliliters (approximately 8 vials). Reaction to antivenoms was observed in 13.5% of cases, comprising mostly minor reactions. Antibiotics were utilized in 99.5% of cases with more than half receiving more than one type of antibiotic. Steroids use was common (62%) whilst 22.9% received antifibrinolytics despite the absence of evidence supporting their use in snakebite.Conclusions: Snakebite is an occupational health hazard of mainly rural farmers. The unwarranted use of non-beneficial medications is still rife. In addition to ensuring the continuous availability of effective antivenoms, there is the need for the development and adherence to protocols that take into consideration the prevailing local conditions.
Highlights
Snakebite is a life-threatening medical emergency predominantly affecting rural farmers[1] which has been listed amongst the World Health Organization’s (WHO) neglected tropical diseases (NTD).[2]
About half of the snakebite victims were farmers or herdsmen who were bitten during their work (Table 1)
We found that most of our snakebite victims were below 30 years of age and were bitten whilst engaged in farming activities
Summary
Snakebite is a life-threatening medical emergency predominantly affecting rural farmers[1] which has been listed amongst the World Health Organization’s (WHO) neglected tropical diseases (NTD).[2]. The exact extent of the menace of snakebite is difficult to ascertain due to lack of reliable epidemiological data in most developing countries like Ghana. This is compounded by the fact that most bites are managed at home or by traditional healers.[1,5,6] Globally, it is estimated that the incidence of envenomation is in excess of five million a year, with about 100 000 of these cases developing severe sequelae.[6,7] Nigeria records 174 snake bites/100 000 population/year[8] whilst Northern Ghana. In addition to ensuring the continuous availability of effective antivenoms, there is the need for the development and adherence to protocols that take into consideration the prevailing local conditions
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