Envenomation secondary to facial snake bite: Report of a rare occurrence

Abstract

In Nigeria, snake bite envenoming has remained a significant health problem. Most snake bites in Nigeria and elsewhere predominantly involve the limbs (upper and lower) but may involve other areas of the body depending on time and posture. Our index patient is a rare case of snake bite that involved the face while the child was asleep at night in a rural Fulani village, Nigeria. The challenges to the child’s management which included late presentation to the hospital and non availability of antisnake venom underscores the need for greater commitment on the part of government at various levels to stock and subsidise the price of antisnake venom in snake- bite prone areas.

Keywords: snake, envenoming, face.