Dayasiri Kavinda, Caldera Dihan, Suraweera Nayani, Thadchanamoorthy Vijayakumary, Hettiarachchi Maduwanthi, Denipitiya Thanura, Bandara Sudharshana
Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Thalagolla Road, PO Box 06, Ragama, Sri Lanka.
Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.
BMC Res Notes. 2024 Dec 19;17(1):371. doi: 10.1186/s13104-024-07036-8.
This study aimed to analyse the epidemiological patterns of paediatric snake bites in Sri Lanka over a 4-year period (2020-2024).
A multi-centre, retrospective observational study was conducted from June 2020 to June 2024 across nine governmental hospitals in seven provinces of Sri Lanka. Data were collected based on 757 children presenting with snake bites. The snake bites were analysed based on age, gender, and seasonal variations. Data on the type of snake involved, geographic variations and the temporal trends in snake bite occurrences were also analysed.
The mean age of the 757 children recruited to the study was 10.3 years (SD-5.00, range-0.1-17 years). Males (57.7%) were significantly more affected than females (42.3%) (p < 0.05). Visual identification confirmed the snake species in 58.4% of cases. The hump-nosed viper (16.7%), Russell's viper (14.7%), and common krait (12.9%) were the most common medically important snakes identified in the study. Seasonal peaks in snake bites occurred in May-July and November-December. An increasing trend in snake bite incidence was noted over the first three years, with a slight decline in the final year.
Paediatric snake bites in Sri Lanka show significant age, gender, and seasonal patterns. Targeted public health interventions are needed to mitigate the impact on children.
本研究旨在分析斯里兰卡4年期间（2020 - 2024年）儿童蛇咬伤的流行病学模式。
2020年6月至2024年6月在斯里兰卡7个省的9家政府医院开展了一项多中心回顾性观察研究。收集了757例蛇咬伤儿童的数据。基于年龄、性别和季节变化对蛇咬伤情况进行了分析。还分析了涉及的蛇的种类、地理差异以及蛇咬伤发生的时间趋势。
纳入本研究的757名儿童的平均年龄为10.3岁（标准差 - 5.00，范围 - 0.1 - 17岁）。男性（57.7%）受影响的比例显著高于女性（42.3%）（p < 0.05）。58.4%的病例通过视觉识别确定了蛇的种类。研究中确定的最常见的具有医学重要性的蛇为尖吻蝮（16.7%）、罗素蝰蛇（14.7%）和银环蛇（12.9%）。蛇咬伤的季节性高峰出现在5月至7月以及11月至12月。在头三年蛇咬伤发病率呈上升趋势，最后一年略有下降。
斯里兰卡儿童蛇咬伤呈现出显著的年龄、性别和季节模式。需要有针对性的公共卫生干预措施来减轻对儿童的影响。
