Health issues and related health-seeking behaviours of snakebite patients after hospital discharge: A cohort study from rural Sri Lanka.

ABSTRACT

We aimed to assess the unresolved health issues experienced by a cohort of snakebite survivors and their health-seeking behaviours during the first three months after the snakebite. Patients from the Anuradhapura snakebite cohort admitted to the Teaching Hospital Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, from July 2021 to June 2022 were recruited. Patients were interviewed over the telephone three weeks and three months post-bite to collect data on unresolved health problems post-discharge, patient's adherence to the review plan, newly experienced health issues, health-seeking behaviours and the effect on daily routine. Only snakebite survivors who could be contacted at both three weeks and three months were included. Of 710 eligible patients, 384 (54%) were contactable at both reviews. On discharge from the hospital, 248/384 (65%) had unresolved effects of the snakebite, including 224/384 (58%) who had local effects. The unresolved health problems were reported by patients bitten by H. hypnale (54%), D. russelii (23%), and unidentified snakes (19%). At three weeks and three months, 98/384 (26%) and 52/384 (14%) still had unresolved local effects of envenoming, respectively. Of 144/384 (38%) who were advised to attend review visits post-discharge, mostly to assess renal function, 118 (82%) complied. 112/384 (29%) patients reported self-motivated treatment seeking for unresolved effects of snakebite over the three months. Of them, 87 (78%) visited Sri Lankan indigenous medical practitioners. Patients missed a median of two working days (IQR 2-4 days) post-discharge. 26 (6.7%) were unable to return to work at 3 weeks, and five patients at 3 months. In rural Sri Lanka, a significant number of viper bite patients leave hospital with mild persistent local effects, which commonly leads to them seeking further treatment. Despite that, almost all snakebite survivors had returned to work at three months post-bite.