Snakebite Assistant to help docs figure out venom management

Image used for representational purpose.

More than 50,000 people in India die due to snake bite every year. To reduce this number, a Mumbai-based wildlife conservationist has developed a mobile application called Snakebite Assistant, with the intent of saving lives. The uniqueness about the app is that it is a teaching tool for snakebite management. The first-of-its kind app assists young doctors in learning how to manage a venomous snakebite case based on the principles of emergency medicine.

The Snakebite Assistance mobile application was created by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and Priyanka Kadam, president and founder of the Snakebite Healing and Education Society (SHE-India.org). Kadam was also the member of a group of international specialists from 16 nations that assisted the WHO in creating a global plan for prevention and control of snakebite envenoming. The app was launched on International Snakebite Awareness Day on September 19, 2022. It has been downloaded more than 4,000 times since then.

Kadam said, "This app covers snakebite prevention awareness messages in 12 languages, venomous snakes-related awareness information, and is also a learning tool for paramedics, doctors and nurses. Preparation of a case report teaches medical personnel about signs and symptoms that can lead to better diagnosis and treatment."

Also read: Man-animal conflict costs Maharashtra Rs 450 cr over past 10 years

"The app is a one-stop shop where information on prevention and clinical management of snakebites is available. This will help medical professionals and the general public be more aware of how to respond to a snakebite situation. This includes aspects like what is the right first aid, how should the patients be transported to the nearest hospital, and how should the PHC (primary health centre) doctor and nurse respond and manage the case. The app also provides guidance on diagnosis based on various signs and symptoms. Besides, it also has a snake game where people of all backgrounds can learn about snakes in a fun way", Kadam added.

According to a study published in a scientific journal, there were 1.2 million snakebite deaths in India during the 20-year period of 2000 to 2019, an average of 58,000 per year. Around 70 per cent of these occurred in limited low altitude, rural areas of eight states - Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana), Rajasthan and Gujarat. Half of all deaths occurred during the monsoon from June to September. Available data indicated that most envenomations were due to Russell's vipers followed by kraits and cobras.