A young man named Ashiq Khan ,26, from Mirzapur, Tangail, was bitten by a snake on the night of July 6. He was brought to a hospital in Dhaka the next morning, but he died on July 7, under treatment.
Despite the administration of antivenom, he could not be saved.
Doctors said that it is not always the case that a snakebite patient can be saved by being given antivenom.
The Department of Health also said that in most of the deaths from snakebites in the past six months, antivenom had been used during treatment.
This raises the question: why can’t snakebite patients be saved with antivenom?
Experts explain that even after antivenom is given to a snakebite patient, he or she cannot always be saved due to late hospitalization or other physical ailments.
According to the Department of Health, 610 people have been bitten by snakes in the last six months. Of them, 38 people have died.
Recently, there has been panic about Russell’s Viper snake. There are many questions in the public mind about the treatment, and especially antivenom in relation to this snake.
Initially, this snake was seen more in Rajshahi and Barendra regions, but Russell’s Viper has gradually spread to 27 districts, according to the Venom Research Center of Chittagong.
Intense heat causes surge in snake bitesHowever, the actual number of patients bitten by Russell’s Viper remains unknown. Data on bites by Russell’s Vipers were found only from Rajshahi and Faridpur.
According to Dr Mohammad Robed Amin, associate professor, Department of Medicine at Dhaka Medical College, snakebites and deaths are not available from other places.
When asked why this information is not available, he told Bangla Tribune: “We only have information from Rajshahi Medical College. But others are not able to provide information in that way. Maybe they are not very experienced in recognizing snakes. So information from other places is not available from them. They have information on death, but death can be from a cobra bite, a monocled cobra, or a Russell’s Viper bite.”
Professor Dr MA Faiz, former Director General of the Department of Health, said: “A snakebite patient can still have side effects after being given antivenom. Again, the patient may die of respiratory arrest before antivenom is administered. I have seen many patients who have died within a short time of the administration of antivenom after being brought to the hospital.”
“There is a specific time to administer antivenom to a snakebite patient. Snakebite patients are often brought to the doctor at the very last moment. Antivenom does not work if it is not given at the right time,” he added.
Bangladesh to produce snake antivenom locallyHe also said: “In the case of Russell’s Viper, like other venomous snakes, the patient initially has breathing problems. Therefore, initially, with timely antivenom, he should be referred to another hospital to see if the rest of the treatment is needed. Antivenom is one of the treatments for venomous snake bites. Other treatments may be needed in addition to antivenom. In some cases, artificial respiration, dialysis, or blood transfusion may be required.”
Professor Faiz, in his book, titled “Snake bite and its treatment,” mentioned that the average time of death after a cobra bite is eight hours, 18 hours after a monocled cobra bite, and 72 hours or three days after a Russell’s Viper bite. It is necessary to apply antivenom within this period. Applying after that may not work.
Those concerned say that if antivenom is injected quickly after a snakebite, its antibodies neutralize the venom. As a result, the life of the affected person can be saved.
After a snakebite, a patient needs 10 injections of antivenom. Ten vials make one dose. One or more doses of antivenom may be required if the amount of venom and degree of toxicity are high.
Robed Amin said: “Many of the snakebite patients who come to us have problems with the nervous system, with some of them bleeding. They have many complications. For example, many may become paralyzed and stop breathing due to complications of the nervous system. If antivenom is given then blood can be replaced, but breathing cannot be restored. Then artificial respiration is required for them. Most of those who died in our medical college had been given antivenom. That means antivenom isn’t the only thing that can be used to heal a person instantly.”
He added: “We have seen that patients who are bitten by Russell’s Vipers have a lot of bleeding. Many people have kidney problems. Even after giving antivenom, we see that the kidney problems continue to worsen. That is why in many cases the patient develops complications even after antivenom is given.”
