Management of Snakebite and Scorpion Sting

Snakebite and Scorpion Sting envenomation is acute medical emergency in tropical and sub-tropical countries of the world including India.

According to WHO, 4.5 million to 5.5 million people are bitten by snake every year across the world.  2 million to 3 million people develop envenomation and approximately 80,000 to 1, 40,000 people die of snakebite per year over the globe.

This report is by WHO but it is also under reported data because in Asian and African countries people bitten by snake, seeks treatment by traditional healers. This data available are records from Govt. Hospitals and Tertiary medical care centers. So as estimatied about 20 million people are bitten by snake every year all over the world. In India alone about 2.8 million people are bitten by snake and 50,000 people die of its envenomation annually.

Similarly annual number of scorpion sting is 1.2 million leading to 3,500 deaths world over as reported by WHO. Indian data is not available regarding scorpion sting envenomation; however, scorpion sting envenomation is not less than snakebite envenomation in Indian sub-continent.

As far as our knowledge, no book is available for Management of Snakebite and Scorpion Sting envenomation in India. In recent years a guideline for treatment of snakebite has been prepared by Department of Health of Government of India.

For scorpion sting envenomation management, there is no guideline available in India. In preparing this book, several Indian Journals and International Journals have been consulted. This is our small endeavour to provide updated Management of Snakebite and Scorpion Sting envenomation to save the precious lives of people in tropical and sub-tropical countries of the world including India.

In our opinion, this book is the need of the hour. We solicit valuable suggestions from our medical fraternity for improving this book so that people could be saved from dying unexpected and sudden death from Snakebite and Scorpion Sting.