Zeitschrift für forensische Forschung

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections continue to spread worldwide. From an epidemiological perspective, risk factors for hospital acquired (HA) infections are most associated, but not limited to, with invasive medical devices, prolonged hospitalization, and surgical procedures. Strains causing infections in patients without risk factors for MRSA are known as community acquired (CA-MRSA). The line between HA- and CA-MRSA is blurring and clones of this pathogen are spreading across geographical borders due to international travel. Strain typing is an important component of epidemiological investigations that should be done to identify outbreak-related strains and hence to control new waves of MRSA infections both locally and internationally.

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%).