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. 2021 Jan;28(1):582-586.
doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.10.046. Epub 2020 Nov 2.

Envenomation and the bite rate by venomous snakes in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the period (2015-2018)

Mohammed K Al-Sadoon  1 , Mohammed Fahad Albeshr  1 , Bilal Ahamad Paray  1 , Abdul Rahman Al-Mfarij  1
Affiliations

Envenomation and the bite rate by venomous snakes in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the period (2015-2018)

Mohammed K Al-Sadoon et al. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Snakebite being medical emergency and known cause for increased mortality needs assessment and treatment on high-priority bases, even in patients of snakebite who appear fine initially. The current retrospective study presents the snake bites in Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2018 reported by General Administration of Statistics and Information, Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The data presented in the current study, was extracted, analyzed, and reported after getting ethical approval from institutional committee. Totally, 14,679 cases of snakebites were reported during the four-year study period, with a higher prevalence in males (80%) in their productive age. Most patients were within the age group between 25 and 44 followed by 44 to 64 years. The majority of snakebite affected inhabitants were reported from farms of the rural areas, commonly during night hours of spring and summer seasons when snakes are very active. Only 36 (0.24%) patients out of 14,679 were reported dead and 14,643 (99.63%) were discharged after the treatment. Awareness among the general public should be encouraged and early diagnosis and usage of proper snake antivenoms could be life-saving. The delay in appropriate treatment can lead to significant morbidity and mortality.

Keywords: Antivenom; Envenomation; Public health; Saudi Arabia; Snake bite.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Year wise frequency of snakebites over the period (2015–2018).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Monthly frequency of snakebites over the period (2015–2018).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Frequency of snakebites according to sex of the victim over the period (2015–2018).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Frequency of snakebites based on the nationality of the victim over the period (2015–2018).
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Frequency and percentage of the snakebite victims according to age groups over the period (2015–2018).
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Incidence of clinical complications due to snake envenomation over the period (2015–2018).
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Number of treated patients and mortality by snakebite over the period (2015–2018).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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