The experience of rabies prophylaxis in Siriraj Hospital 1980-1987.

ABSTRACT

Twenty two hundreds and thirty five records of patients receiving rabies vaccine prophylaxis between February 1980 and October 1987 were analyzed retrospectively in order to find out the epidemiological backgrounds of animals bite victims. These patients were 1,130 males and 1097 females with the ages raged from 9 months to 87 years. Most of the patients (1,486 case, 66.40%) were under the age of 25 while the most commonly found were between 5-9 years. The injuries occurred mostly around their residential areas. The rabies vaccine prophylaxis using the suckling mouse brain vaccine (SMV), Sample vaccine and human diploid cell vaccine (HDCV) were 1,626, 266 and 343 cases respectively. Primary suture of wounds and wound cleansing were carried out in 123 patients. No serious side effect was observed subsequent to the injection of rabies vaccine. However, skin rash was observed among patients receiving SMV and Sample vaccine in 14 and 7 cases respectively.