Pre-hospital treatment of snake envenomation in patients presented AT a tertiary care hospital in Northwestern India

Snakebite is an important medical emergency. Anti-snake venom along with supportive care is the only specific treatment. However, many people put their faith in non-registered medical practitioners. Where medical aid is available, lack of trained health personnel jeopardizes the situation. This retrospective study, the first of its kind, was aimed at studying the pre-hospital treatment as well as the behavior of patients bitten by snakes and referred to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. A total of 88 cases that occurred between January 1997 and December 2001 were studied. Seventy patients received treatment prior to admission (the majority was treated by non-registered medical practitioners, registered medical practitioners, and MBBS doctors). The various treatment modalities used were: anti-snake venom (ASV), tourniquet, incision and drainage (I&D), tetanus toxoid, injections, and tablets. Non-registered medical practitioners still preferred tourniquet and I&D. The patients who were referred within 24 hours stayed less time in the hospital and spent less money on the treatment compared to those who were referred after 24 hours. Non-registered medical practitioners and inadequately trained health staff are often the first contact of snakebite victims. Their traditional and unscientific methods of treatment lead to unnecessary morbidity and increased treatment cost. It is therefore necessary to train these people adequately so that proper treatment can be instituted at the earliest.

Pre-hospital treatment of snake envenomation in patients presented AT a tertiary care hospital in Northwestern India

Snakebite is an important medical emergency. Anti-snake venom along with supportive care is the only specific treatment. However, many people put their faith in non-registered medical practitioners. Where medical aid is available, lack of trained health personnel jeopardizes the situation. This retrospective study, the first of its kind, was aimed at studying the pre-hospital treatment as well as the behavior of patients bitten by snakes and referred to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. A total of 88 cases that occurred between January 1997 and December 2001 were studied. Seventy patients received treatment prior to admission (the majority was treated by non-registered medical practitioners, registered medical practitioners, and MBBS doctors). The various treatment modalities used were: anti-snake venom (ASV), tourniquet, incision and drainage (I&D), tetanus toxoid, injections, and tablets. Non-registered medical practitioners still preferred tourniquet and I&D. The patients who were referred within 24 hours stayed less time in the hospital and spent less money on the treatment compared to those who were referred after 24 hours. Non-registered medical practitioners and inadequately trained health staff are often the first contact of snakebite victims. Their traditional and unscientific methods of treatment lead to unnecessary morbidity and increased treatment cost. It is therefore necessary to train these people adequately so that proper treatment can be instituted at the earliest.

Central retinal artery occlusion: an unusual complication of snakebite

Snakebites are endemic in some parts of India, being associated with a number of complications. Ocular disturbances are rare, except for injury to the cornea or conjunctiva when the eye is directly exposed to the venom. In this work, we present a case of central retinal artery occlusion caused by snakebite.(AU)

Central retinal artery occlusion: an unusual complication of snakebite

Snakebites are endemic in some parts of India, being associated with a number of complications. Ocular disturbances are rare, except for injury to the cornea or conjunctiva when the eye is directly exposed to the venom. In this work, we present a case of central retinal artery occlusion caused by snakebite.

A neutron powder diffraction study of short range order in ferroelectric Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3).

The structure of Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3) (PMN) was investigated using pulsed neutron powder diffraction. Rietveld analysis suggests small displacements of Pb and O atoms, with anomalously large thermal factors. The pair-distribution function (PDF) derived from experiment indicates the presence of short range order. Modeling in real space by fitting to the experimental PDF suggests displacements of lead and oxygen atoms of much larger magnitude than those indicated by the Rietveld analysis. Correlation of these displacements may be related to the onset of bulk ferroelectricity in this material.

Dielectric and pyroelectric properties of triglycerol-gelatin films.

The dielectric and pyroelectric properties of triglycerol-gelatin thick films were studied as a function of temperature and frequency. The films exhibited a strong dispersion in the dielectric permittivity accompanied by a high dielectric loss near room temperature. The pyroelectric current measured by the static Byer-Roundy method is heavily dominated by the thermally stimulated currents. Measurements performed on prepoled samples using the dynamic technique of A.G. Chynoweth (1956) clearly proved the presence of a true, reversible pyroelectric response in the examined films. The value of the pyroelectric coefficient of the films was found to be comparable to that of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).