A Study of Snake Bites Admitted to a Hospital in Rhodesia

A CAJM article on cases of snake bites admitted to a hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe (formerly Salisbury, Rhodesia)The relative abundance of snake species varies geographically. The commonest venomous snakes in Salisbury are probably the Rhombic Nightadder (Causus rhombeatus) (Fig. 1), Egyptian Cobra (Naja Haje) (Fig. 4) and Boomslang (Dispholi- dus typus). In the majority of cases identification of the type of venous bite cannot be obtained as the patient fails to bring the snake to hospital. The purpose of this paper will be to review the main features noted in a retrospective series of 186 cases of snake bite seen at Harare Hospital, Salisbury, between January, 1967, and December, 1971, and to provide a brief account of the main features of the common snakes seen in the Salisbury area

Routine prophylactic antibiotic use in the management of snakebite

BACKGROUND: Routine antibiotic prophylaxis following snakebite is not recommended but evidence suggests that it may be common practice in Zimbabwe. This study set out to determine and describe the extent of this practice at Parirenyatwa Hospital, a large teaching hospital in Zimbabwe METHODS: A retrospective case review (1996 to 1999 inclusive) of all cases of snakebite was undertaken at Parirenyatwa Hospital. Cases with a diagnosis of snakebite, presenting within 24 hours of the bite and with no complications or concurrent illness were defined as "routine prophylactic antibiotic use". RESULTS: From 78 cases which satisfied the inclusion criteria, 69 (88.5%) received antibiotics. Ten different antibiotics from 6 different classes were used with penicillins the most commonly prescribed (benzylpenicillin in 29% of cases, alone or in combination). Over 40% of antibiotics were given parenterally although all patients were conscious on admission. The total cost of antibiotics used was estimated at US$522.98. CONCLUSION: Routine prophylactic use of antibiotics in snakebite at Parirenyatwa Hospital is common practice. This may highlight the lack of a clearly defined policy leading to wasteful inappropriate antibiotic use which is costly and may promote bacterial antibiotic resistance. Further work is required to investigate the reasons for this practice and to design appropriate interventions to counter it

Evaluating Patterns of a White-Band Disease (WBD) Outbreak in Acropora palmata Using Spatial Analysis: A Comparison of Transect and Colony Clustering

. Likewise, there is little known about the spatiality of outbreaks. We examined the spatial patterns of WBD during a 2004 outbreak at Buck Island Reef National Monument in the US Virgin Islands. colonies with and without WBD.As the search for causation continues, surveillance and proper documentation of the spatial patterns may inform etiology, and at the same time assist reef managers in allocating resources to tracking the disease. Our results indicate that the spatial scale of data collected can drastically affect the calculation of prevalence and spatial distribution of WBD outbreaks. Specifically, we illustrate that higher resolution sampling resulted in more realistic disease estimates. This should assist in selecting appropriate sampling designs for future outbreak investigations. The spatial techniques used here can be used to facilitate other coral disease studies, as well as, improve reef conservation and management

A Study of Snake Bites Admitted to a Hospital in Rhodesia

The relative abundance of snake species varies geographically. The commonest venomous snakes in Salisbury are probably the Rhombic Nightadder (Causus rhombeatus) (Fig. 1), Egyptian Cobra (Naja Haje) (Fig. 4) and Boomslang (Dispholi- dus typus). In the majority of cases identification of the type of venous bite cannot be obtained as the patient fails to bring the snake to hospital. The purpose of this paper will be to review the main features noted in a retrospective series of 186 cases of snake bite seen at Harare Hospital, Salisbury, between January, 1967, and December, 1971, and to provide a brief account of the main features of the common snakes seen in the Salisbury area

Cancer of the Stomach in the African

Ninety-eight cases of histologically proved cancer of the stomach have been reviewed. This condition is probably more common in the African than has been recorded. In the present series it occurred more frequently in Africans 'born in Malawi, as compared with controls. The clinical features are described. Surgery offers the only hope of cure or adequate palliation