A five-year retrospective review of snakebite patients admitted to a tertiary university hospital in Malaysia.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Although the majority of the snakebite cases in Malaysia are due to non-venomous snakes, venomous bites cause significant morbidity and mortality if treatment measures, especially ant-venom therapy, are delayed.

METHODS:

To determine the demographic characteristics, we conducted a retrospective study on all snakebite patients admitted to the Emergency Department of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) from January 2006 to December 2010.

RESULTS:

In the majority of the 260 cases that we found (138 cases or 52.9%), the snake species was unidentified. The most common venomous snakebites among the identified species were caused by cobras (52 cases or 20%). Cobra bites are significantly more likely to result in severe envenomation compared to non-cobra bites. Post hoc analysis also showed that cobra bite patients are significantly less likely to have complete recovery than non-cobra bite patients (48 cases, 75.0% vs. 53 cases, 94.6%; p = 0.003) and more likely to result in local gangrene (11 cases, 17.2% vs. 3 cases, 5.4%; p = 0.044).

CONCLUSION:

Cobra bites are significantly more likely to result in severe envenomation needing anti-venom administration and more likely to result in local gangrene, and the patients are significantly less likely to have complete recovery than those with non-cobra bites.

• Authors: Keng Sheng Chew, Heng Wei Khor, Rashidi Ahmad, Nik Hisamuddin Nik Abdul Rahman
• Journal: International journal of emergency medicine (Int J Emerg Med) Vol. 4 Pg. 41 (Jul 13 2011) ISSN: 1865-1380 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 21752254 (Publication Type: Journal Article)