PREDICTING THE NEED FOR EARLY SURGICAL INTERVENTION IN SNAKE BITES

Abstract

One of the life-threatening situations we encounter in tertiary care facilities is snake bite. In India, there are over 2,000,000 snake bites reported annually. According to a study, 45,900 deaths per million people, or 5%, are primarily caused by snakebites and account for 0.5% of India's overall mortality rate1. Although medical treatment is the first line of defence against snake bites, the patient may eventually need surgery. There are numerous classifications for envenomation based on indications. Naja naja (Indian Cobra), Bungarus caeruleus (Indian Krait), Daboia russalie (Russell's viper), and Echis carinatus (Saw Scaled Viper) are the most prevalent Indian elapids. The injected venom can have a wide range of harmful effects, from local tissue damage to systemic organ failure, as shown in table 1, depending on the type of snake used. The most frequent symptoms of localised tissue injury are pain, blistering, and bruising. Compartment syndrome is caused by severe tissue necrosis. Pain, paresthesia,pallor, paralysis, poikilothermia, and pulselessness are some of the clinical signs and
symptoms of compartment syndrome. A pressure more than 30 mmHg is significant of compartment syndrome, and an increase in intra compartmental pressure up to 30-45 mmHg is an unambiguous indication for fasciotomy6, according to the majority of studies on the subject. Supportive care and the administration of anti-snake-bite venom (ASV) are included in the treatment of poisonous snake-bite envenomation. The only specific treatment for snakebite envenomation in people for whom the advantages exceed the disadvantages is ASV