A Retrospective Study on Profile of Snake Bite Cases in Bangalore, India

Snake bite is a common medical emergency and an occupational hazard, more so in tropical India, where farming is a major source of employment. Every year, 50, 000 Indians die in 2, 50, 000 incidents of snake bite, despite the fact that India is not home for the largest numberofvenomoussnakesintheworld, nor istherea shortage of anti-snake venom in the country. This retrospectivestudywas doneonthe caseswhichwere brought with alleged history of poisoning at the emergency department of M.V.J Medical College and Research Hospital, Hosakote, Bangalore, during the period January 2010 to December with the objective of evaluating the pattern of snakebites at a tertiary care hospital and to study the socio demographic profile of the same. Most of the victims of snakebites were aged between 21–30 years, with males outnumbering females mostly from the rural area; bites from unidentified snakes were more common than identified species.