GUIDELINES FOR THE CLINICAL MANAGEMENT OF SNAKE-BITES IN IRAN

Many areas of Iran are suitable habitat for the snakes. Annually, 4500 to 7000 snakebites occur in the country. Although many books and articles have been published about the snakebite in Iran, but no clinical guideline is available freely for clinicians in Persian language. This paper aimed to present a comprehensive overview of the snakebite in Iran. A detailed search was performed in medical electronic databases and libraries of Urmia University of Medical Sciences. More than fifty scientific papers, textbooks, clinical guides and pharmaceutical brochure were accurately studied and useful details of each reference were recorded. Then the initial draft of the current guideline was prepared and reviewed. Finally, in a focus group with presence of experts from different medical specialties, the final version of current clinical guideline was developed. This clinical guideline contains useful information about the geographical distribution of snakes in the world, general characteristics and identification of snakes, snake venom, clinical presentations, principles of diagnosis, severity grading and details of snakebite management, antivenom administration, prognosis and snakebites in specific groups (women and children) and some recommendations for prevention of snakebite. Despite previous references which have been offered only certain aspects of snakebite, accurate and practical tips required for comprehensive management of snakebite are presented in this article.