Trial reportBMC medical education2023
Compliance with national snakebite treatment guidelines in rural Sri Lankan hospitals: a cluster randomized controlled trial of a brief educational intervention.
Trial report in BMC medical education, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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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.
The trial behind it
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Analyzing first aid in textbooks used by non-medical and paramedical students in Nepal: A need of further attention for snakebite management!PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2025Article
- Community beliefs, risk factors, and preventive practices of snakebite: a local study with global perspectives.BMC research notes · 2025Observational
- Developing and applying a training needs analysis tool for healthcare workers managing snakebite envenoming: A cross-sectional study in Eswatini.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSnakebite is a global health problem that predominantly occurs in rural areas. In Sri Lanka, the majority of snakebite patients first present to smaller rural primary hospitals. Improving care delivered at rural hospitals has the potential to reduce morbidity and mortality from snakebites.
objectiveIn this study, we evaluated whether an educational intervention would increase compliance with national snakebite treatment guidelines in primary hospitals.
methodsThe hospitals were randomized into educational intervention (n = 24) and control groups (n = 20). The intervention hospitals received a brief educational intervention based on Sri Lankan Medical Association (SLMA) guidelines on the management of snakebites. Control hospitals had free access to the guidelines but no additional promotion. Four outcomes were assessed: pre- and post-test knowledge at the completion of a one-day workshop of educational intervention (intervention group only); improvement in the quality of the patient's medical records; appropriateness of transfers to higher hospitals; and quality of overall management graded by a blinded expert. The data was collected over a period of 12 months.
resultsAll case notes of snakebite hospital admissions were reviewed. There were 1021 cases in the intervention group hospitals and 1165 cases in the control hospitals. Four hospitals in the intervention group and three hospitals in the control group did not have snakebite admissions and were excluded from the cluster analysis. The absolute quality of care was high in both groups. Post-test knowledge was improved (p < 0.0001) following the intervention group's educational workshop. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of clinical data documentation in hospital notes (scores, p = 0.58) or transfer appropriateness (p = 0.68)-both of which were significantly different from the guidelines.
conclusionEducation of primary hospital staff improved the immediate knowledge gained but did not improve record-keeping or the appropriateness of inter-hospital patient transfer.
trial registrationThe study was registered with Sri Lanka Medical Associations' clinical trial registry. Reg. No SLCTR -2013-023. Registered: 30/07/2013.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.