Clinical profiles, treatment and complications of snake bites: A one-year retrospective study

A total of 144 cases of various animal bites and stings were registered during year 2005. Fifty per cent of these cases were due to snakebites only. Young male patients from rural area with the mean age of 31 were commonly the victims of snake bites. The commonest symptoms noted were edema and swelling over bite marks (65.62%), followed by pain (53.12%). Among neurotoxic symptoms nausea, vomiting (18.75%) and ptosis (12.5%) were most common than other features. Most common toxicity was noted in the form of neurotoxicity which, resulted in 18.75 per cent mortality. Average polyvalent Anti Snake Venom (ASV) administered was 160 ml in divided dosage with mean duration of ASV therapy was 24 hours. Average hospital stay was 2.3 days for the cases of snakebites.