Observational studyPLoS neglected tropical diseases2022
Treatment outcomes among snakebite patients in north-west Ethiopia-A retrospective analysis.
Observational study in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pediatric snakebite in Sub-Saharan Africa: Clinical predictors, outcomes, and gaps in care-A systematic review.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Pooled it
- Snakebite cases and treatment outcomes in the Afar region, Ethiopia: a retrospective and prospective study approach.Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 2025Article
- Review
- Clinical features of puff adder envenoming: case series of Bitis arietans snakebites in Kenya and a scoping review of the literature.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2025Article
- A polygeneric immunogen composed of 22 venoms from sub-Saharan African snakes to expand the neutralization scope of the EchiTAb-plus-ICP antivenom.Toxicon: X · 2024Article
- Snakebite Management: The Need of Reassessment, International Relations, and Effective Economic Measures to Reduce the Considerable SBE Burden.Journal of epidemiology and global health · 2024Review
- The role of social media in public health awareness during times of war in Sudan: snakebites and scorpion stings.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Correction: Treatment outcomes among snakebite patients in north-west Ethiopia-A retrospective analysis.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2024Article
- Unraveling snake venom phospholipase APharmacological reports : PR · 2023Review
- Snakebite envenoming at MSF: A decade of clinical challenges and antivenom access issues.Toxicon: X · 2023Article
- Seasonal variation, treatment outcome, and its associated factors among the snakebite patients in Somali region, Ethiopia.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
13 authors at 6 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMillions of people are bitten by venomous snakes annually, causing high mortality and disability, but the true burden of this neglected health issue remains unknown. Since 2015, Médecins Sans Frontières has been treating snakebite patients in a field hospital in north-west Ethiopia. Due to the poor market situation for effective and safe antivenoms for Sub-Saharan Africa, preferred antivenom was not always available, forcing changes in choice of antivenom used. This study describes treatment outcomes and the effectiveness and safety of different antivenoms used. METHODOLOGY / PRINCIPAL
findingsThis retrospective observational study included 781 snakebite patients presenting at the field hospital between 2015 and 2019. Adjusted odds ratios, 95%-CI and p-values were used to compare the treatment outcome of patients treated with Fav-Afrique (n = 149), VacSera (n = 164), and EchiTAb-PLUS-ICP (n = 156) antivenom, and to identify the risk of adverse reactions for each antivenom. Whereas only incidental snakebite cases presented before 2015, after treatment was made available, cases rapidly increased to 1,431 in 2019. Envenomation was mainly attributed to North East African saw-scaled viper (Echis pyramidum) and puff adder (Bitis arietans). Patients treated with VacSera antivenom showed lower chance of uncomplicated treatment outcome (74.4%) compared to Fav-Afrique (93.2%) and EchiTAb-PLUS-ICP (90.4%). VacSera and EchiTAb-PLUS-ICP were associated with 16- and 6-fold adjusted odds of treatment reaction compared to Fav-Afrique, respectively, and VacSera was weakly associated with higher odds of death. CONCLUSIONS / SIGNIFICANCE: Snakebite frequency is grossly underreported unless treatment options are available. Although EchiTAb-PLUS-ICP showed favorable outcomes in this retrospective analysis, prospective randomized trials are needed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the most promising antivenoms for Sub-Saharan Africa. Structural investment in sustained production and supply of antivenom is urgently needed.
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