Neurotoxic snake bites in Saudi Arabia: Current status analysis

Saudi Arabia has vast areas of deserts with the availability of different types of venomous snakes.Snake bites continue to be extremely dangerous injuries worldwide and occasionally need critical care.Snake bites have different systemic manifestations including hematotoxic and neurotoxic presentations.Neurotoxic bites are characterized by neurological manifestations with flaccid paralysis of the respiratory muscles which ends fatally by respiratory arrest and death.Neurotoxic snake bites were reported in Saudi Arabia with lower incidence than the hemotoxic bites.Effective handling of an envenomed patient, such as timely hospitalization, ventilator support, and antivenom administration, greatly lowers the risk of neurological complications, which lowers mortality and enhance the functional outcome of survivors.