A Ten-Year Survey of Types of Bites، Clinical and Laboratory Results in Patients Referred to Shah Vali Hospital in Yazd and Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Taft during 2011-2021

Mojdeh Farhadi; Hamid Owliaey; Fariba  Farnaghi; Mehrnoush Giahi Yazdi; Foroozan Faress; Marjan Shariatpanahi

doi:10.18502/tbj.v24i1.18932

Mojdeh Farhadi M.D. student, Ali bin Abi Taleb Medical School,Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University,Yazd, Iran
Hamid Owliaey Assistant Professor of Forensic Medicine, Clinical Toxicology Fellowship, Ali bin Abi Taleb Medical School ,Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University,Yazd, Iran
Fariba Farnaghi Associate Professor Department of Pediatric, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mehrnoush Giahi Yazdi General Practitioner, Ali bin Abi Taleb Medical School ,Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University,Yazd, Iran
Foroozan Faress Assistant Professor of Forensic Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Marjan Shariatpanahi Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/tbj.v24i1.18932

Keywords: Bites and Stings, Scorpion Stings, Snake Bites,Hospital, Epidemiology, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: The present study aims to investigate the clinical and laboratory symptoms and prognosis of bites in patients referred to Shah Wali Hospital in Yazd and Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Taft between 2015 and 2020.

Methods: The current cross-sectional study was conducted on 103 patients hospitalized due to venomous animal bites in Shahvalili Hospital, Yazd and Shahid Beheshti Hospital. The bite, the bitten limb, symptoms caused by the bite, laboratory changes following the bite, and the treatment approach were recorded in the study checklist and were analyzed.

Results: Individuals aged 15–59 years accounted for the largest percentage of treatment-seeking cases (76/7%).The biting animals included snake (44/7%), scorpions (30/1%), bees (19/4%), spiders (1/9%) and unknown bites (3/9%), respectively. Summer (81/6%) was the most common season (81/6%) and the upper (56%) and lower (28%) extremities were the most common sites of bite. Most of the bites resulted in local (56/3%) symptoms followed by systemic symptoms (38/8%). Anaphylaxis was reported only after bee stings. Snakebite had the most complications, and 37% of patients represented disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC). Snake bites were mainly treated with 1-5 antivenom vials (56/57%) and scorpion bites with 1-2 antivenom vials (79/03%).

Conclusion:According to the findings of the present study, snakebites account for the majority of envenomation cases, necessitating comprehensive disease management, including pharmacological interventions such as antivenom administration. Given the importance of controlling symptoms of disseminated intravascular coagulation in snakebite, laboratory monitoring and the use of pharmacological treatments seem essential.