This hospital based prospective study was conducted from September 2009 to September 2011.All the patients irrespective of age and sex, who reported with history of snake bite were included in the study. A total 169 snake bite patients, consisting of 116 (68.7%) male and 53 (31.3%) female [mean (SD) age 32±12 years] were admitted to the hospital during the study period, the ratio being 2.2:1. The majority of victims belonged to rural areas (67.5%) and most vulnerable occupation group was the people involved in agricultural activities (48.5%). The study population was predominately bitten outdoors (62.7%). Most of the time people could not identify the snake (52.1%) and among identified poisonous snakes Elapidae and Viperidae type were 15.4% and 13.0% respectively. The maximum cases of snakebite were recorded in the 3rd quarter of the year (67.4%) and peak incidence of snake bite was recorded in the time between 6:00 PM to 12:00 midnight (30.2%). In 69.2% of cases, the site of snake bite was lower limbs. The commonest manifestation was fright (85.2%) followed by pain at local site (57.9%). Majority of the victims were treated with ASV (81.1%) and most of them survived (92%).

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A human being having intelligentsia of good personality or in simpler terms a personage is in full control of his body by the international convention. This is called as self-autonomy. Therefore, self-autonomy of a patient should be respected in terms of medical treatment protocol also. Informed consent should be encouraged in all the disciplines of medicine as we are entering the era of patient as a consumer and doctor as a service provider. The rising literacy in our community is esteeming the self-respect in people. Therefore, all the procedures involving medical treatment, surgical operations, assisting reproductive technologies, treatment of mentally disabled persons, and treatment of children should have proper consent in terms of age, mental capacity, free will, and full disclosure.

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