ABSTRACT
This article explores the management of snakebite to vulnerable patient groups, namely children and pregnant women as well as providing detail on the current best practice when caring for venom ophthalmia and surgical wounds resulting from snakebite. Finally, the optimal free-to-use medical record for accurate documentation of snakebite incidents is provided for use by South African practitioners.
Subject(s)
Snake Bites , Pregnancy , Child , Humans , Female , Snake Bites/diagnosis , Snake Bites/therapy , South Africa , Antivenins/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Snakebites occur in the community, not in the Emergency Unit. As such it is important to understand the first-aid concepts and pre-hospital emergency care aspects of this neglected disease. This article will highlight the concepts for emergency care within the context of the current pre-hospital arena and in light of the recent South African Snakebite Symposium consensus meeting held in July 2022, where wilderness rescue, emergency medical services and other medical participants agreed through evidence review and consensus debate on the current best approaches to care of the snakebite victim outside the hospital environment.
