‘Time is crucial in treating victims of snakebites’

About 40% cases of bites are by venomous snakes: expert

CHENNAI, 10/08/2008: Extracting Venom: Irulas at the Irula Snake Catchers' Industrial Cooperative Society at Vadanemmeli on the ECR extract venom from four varieties of snakes - cobra, common krait, Russell's viper and the saw scaled viper. The venom is used to prepare antivenin- cure for any poisonous bite or sting. Extracted venom is converted from liquid to powder form in a lab at the society. Photo: M. Karunakaran

Time is crucial for treatment of snakebite victims. At the first International Snakebite Awareness Day (September 19), doctors laid stress on the ned to avoid delay in giving care to prevent complications due to snakebites.

Every year, the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) receives nearly 400 to 500 snakebite victims.

The hospital has managed to put in place a system to manage and treat snakebite victims, bringing down the mortality due to snakebites to less than 2% now.

The World Health Organisation, which had put snakebites on the list of neglected tropical diseases, estimates that around 81,000 to 1,38,000 persons die of snake bite each year.

In India, there are four venomous snakes — common krait, cobra, Russell’s viper and saw scaled viper — S. Ragunanthanan, professor of medicine and chief of poison control training and research centre, RGGGH, pointed out.

“Roughly, 30-40% of bites are by these venomous snakes. When it comes to snakebites, time is important. Persons bitten by snakes should not panic and should be taken to the nearest health facility for treatment,” he said.

The hospital received many snakebite cases from Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Vellore districts, he added. At the hospital, snakebite victims are kept under observation for 24 hours.

“We look for neuro toxicity. The most common signs are drooping of eyelids, difficulty in swallowing or talking, respiratory distress, weakness of limbs and local inflammation. We check for whole-blood clotting time. If a person has one or more signs of envenomation, he/she is immediately started on anti-venom treatment,” he said.

In the last decade, the centre has trained 12,000 doctors at the primary and secondary care level to manage snakebite cases.

“The largest number of deaths due to snakebites are occurring in India. Tamil Nadu, too, has a large number of snakebite cases,” said Anand Zachariah, professor of Medicine unit I, Christian Medical College, Vellore.

The institution receives about 150-200 snakebite cases in a year, he added.