Snakebite and envenomation management in Malaysia

Abstract

Malaysia is a tropical country and snakes are an essential component of its many ecosystems. A number of medically significant venomous land and marine species have been recorded from Malaysia. Humans are exposed to bites and envenoming from these snakes during their engagement in various activities that bring them into the animal’s natural habitat. Snakebite is an important medical emergency and one of the common causes of hospital admission. There is a clear association between the knowledge and confidence level of healthcare providers managing snakebite with the quality of patient care, the provision of appropriate clinical management, the selection of appropriate antivenom, and the outcome of such treatment. The clinical management of snake bites and envenoming may still be suboptimal due to neglect of this issue and negligence at various levels of medical care. The true scale of mortality and morbidity from snakebite remains uncertain as a result of inadequate documentation. To overcome these deficiencies, snake bite envenoming must be recognized as an important notifiable disease. Awareness programs for the public and specially tailored educational programs for healthcare providers should be encouraged and supported. An appropriate clinical management guideline should be established and the inappropriate ones removed. The establishment of an easily accessible qualified clinical expert assistance in managing snakebites and envenomation is also necessary.