The arrival of the rainy season brings with it many infectious diseases along with rampant cases of snake bites, especially from village areas. Recently a very challenging case of snake bite of a 6yrs old girl from Birkera was taken up by the hospital in which the mother of the girl was already bitten by the same snake earlier and had died before coming to the hospital.
The girl was bitten by the snake at 3 am in the morning and she was paralyzed and frothing when she was brought to the Emergency dept. of the hospital after 12hrs of bites. The doctors intubated her and secured respiration through a respiratory pipe passing it through the throat before moving the patient to JP PICU (Pediatric ICU) and put on a ventilator. Due to poison spread in the entire body, the patient was paralyzed, the treating doctor Dr. Rabi Kumar (Sr. Pediatrician, Dept. of Pediatrics) said. The patient was given 10 vials of Anti Venom Serum (an antitoxin for snake bites). She already was given 20 vials by a government hospital, where she was admitted before coming to JP Hospital.
After two days, some movement was noticed in the girl’s body but she started to vomit blood due to venom spread in the gut. The hemoglobin level dropped down to 7.5 gm, which made JP doctors go for a ‘Blood Transfusion’. Though the ‘Blood Transfusion step controlled the situation for a day but again the very next day, BLS trained CPR Daksh Team noticed Cardiac Arrest signs (a situation when the heart of a person suddenly stops to function) in the girl’s body and immediately took the necessary steps that revived the victim’s life. After three days, the patient was taken out of the ventilator and was put on oxygen and rehabilitation. The patient was shifted to the ward. After a couple of days, she was found fit and fine and ready to be discharged.
Dr. Rabi Kumar says “People especially those residing near jungle areas, need to be cautious of snakes-bites. The symptoms of a victim of snake bites are: eyelids will start drooping unconsciously, reduced body movements, dizziness, and difficulty in walking and breathing. Snakes such as Cobra’s and Krait’s neurotoxin affect the nervous system of the victim causing paralysis. Viper’s toxin affects the bloodstream. The snake bite victim should be immediately brought to the nearest healthcare center. Timing is very important”
