Abstract
BackgroundSnake bites are an important public health problem in developing countries with most bites occurring in rural areas. Severe envenomation often occurs in children and following bites to the face. Prompt administration of potent anti-venom remains the mainstay of management. However in Cameroon, the use of anti-venoms is limited by non-availability, high cost (where available) and poor mastery of treatment guidelines.Case presentationWe present a 10-year-old muslim Cameroonian child from an enclaved rural area, brought to the hospital 12 h after a snake bite to the face, with signs of severe envenomation. Despite the suboptimal anti-venom dose administered to this patient due to a stock out of this medication, supportive therapy was beneficial in ensuring a positive outcome and satisfactory recovery.ConclusionThis highlights snake bites as a public health problem due to the lack of snake anti-venoms in peripheral health facilities, rendering them unable to appropriately manage these cases. National health policies should encourage constant peripheral availability of anti-venoms and the institution of an intervention package for snake bite management, comprising: treatment protocol, staff training, monitoring of compliance and community education to help reduce the mortality and morbidity from snake bites.
Highlights
Snake bites are an important public health problem in developing countries with most bites occurring in rural areas
Bites involving children and/or the face are considered as cases of severe envenomation [10] and usually require timely administration of an appropriate dose of an effective anti-venom [1], and optimal care in a hospital equipped to implement life-saving interventions to improve chances of survival [6]
In many developing countries, the use of anti-venoms is limited by nonavailability, high cost [9] and poor mastery or absence of standardized guidelines on the utilization of anti-venoms where available [1]
Summary
Snake bites are a major public health problem in Cameroon with children being most at risk and having a poorer prognosis. Improved national public health policies are needed to assure availability of appropriate and effective anti-venoms at all levels of the health system. The institution of an intervention package involving: standard treatment protocol, staff training, compliance monitoring and patient education, will help decrease morbidity and mortality from snakebites. Authors’ contributions FLT: Managed the patient, acquisition of data and write up of the initial manu‐ script, CAD, VFF: Acquisition of data and revision of manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Author details 1 Mayo Darle sub-Divisional Hospital, Mayo Banyo, Adamaoua Region, Cam‐ eroon. Njikwa District Hospital, Momo, North West Region, Cameroon. Mayo Darle sub-Divivsional Hospital, Mayo Banyo, Adamawa region, Cameroon Author details 1 Mayo Darle sub-Divisional Hospital, Mayo Banyo, Adamaoua Region, Cam‐ eroon. 2 Orthopaedics Department, Southend University Hospital, Essex, UK. 3 Health and Human Development (2HD) Research Network, Douala, Came‐ roon. 4 Njikwa District Hospital, Momo, North West Region, Cameroon. 5 Mayo Darle sub-Divivsional Hospital, Mayo Banyo, Adamawa region, Cameroon
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