title: Retrospective analysis of snake victims in Northern India admitted in a tertiary level institute.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Snake bites are the common cause of morbidity and mortality in tropical countries.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the outcome of snake bite victims
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of data from Intensive care unit, Department of Anesthesiology.
  
  
  METHODS
  All the patients admitted in the intensive care unit for snake bite management during the year May 2004 - April 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. The data included age, sex, month and time of incident, site of bite, dose of anti--snake venom, time of anti--snake venom, administration, duration of mechanical ventilation, complications and death of a victim.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pearson's correlation test, paired samples t-test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  113 patients reported to the Accident and Emergency with history of snake bite. 26 patients were referred to other hospital, 17 patients were brought dead, and 70 patients were admitted to the intensive care unit. In 59 snake-bite victims, maximum data could be recovered. Krait was the most common type of snake bite reported. There was a male preponderance (69.4%) with age ranging between 20 and 40 years (52.5%). The mean lag time (time elapsed between bite and first dose of anti--snake venom) was 5.3 ± 1.4 h and the mean anti-snake venom dose was 12.3 ± 2.4 vials. There was a positive and significant correlation between lag time and total dose of anti--snake venom (correlation coefficient =0.956, P<0.0001). Overall 72.9% patients required mechanical ventilation with a mean duration of 56.2 ± 16.1 h. 10.2% patients sustained cardiac arrest, 8.7% patients developed ventilator associated pneumonia, 6.7% suffered mild anti-snake venom reaction, 6.7% had hypotension and 5.1% patients developed renal failure. The overall mortality was 5.1%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, JN Medical College, AMU, Aligarh, India.
authors.forename: Syed Moied
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Abu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nadeem
authors.forename: Mohd Sabihul
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: Shiwani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Lalit
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Singh