A study of the current knowledge base in treating snake bite amongst doctors in the high-risk countries of India and Pakistan: does snake bite treatment training reflect local requirements?

The call for greater production of better quality anti-snake venom (ASV) is a major thrust in the effort to reduce snake bite mortality. However, snake bite mortality has many causes and these should also be addressed. A key feature of efficient ASV usage is ensuring that doctors are trained to administer ASV only when it is required and in amounts that are necessary to neutralize venom. The need for better snake bite management training has been referred to, but little attention has been paid to how effectively medical education actually prepares doctors to treat snake bite. The objective of this study is to evaluate the current level of knowledge amongst doctors in India and Pakistan, two countries with the highest snake bite mortality in absolute terms. Results show that the use of current textbooks and medical education do not adequately prepare doctors to treat snake bite, particularly in the areas of use of ASV, dealing with adverse reactions to ASV and specific measures to deal with neurotoxic bites. The central conclusion of the paper is that local protocols and training are required to adequately prepare doctors to improve treatment and reduce mortality.