Approaches to the treatment of scorpion envenoming.
A total of 3866 patients stung by Tityus serrulatus scorpion was admitted to Hospital João XXIII, in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, over a 16-year period (an average of 241 cases per year). Of these, 73% were adults and 27% were children aged less than 14 years. The moderate or benign cases were treated with symptomatic measures and/or i.v. antivenom, whereas 168 severely envenomed children were treated in the Intensive Care Unit. Lung oedema was unilateral in several cases, with the presence of air bronchograms and a peripheral distribution, suggesting that a noncardiogenic factor is also involved in the genesis of lung oedema. The treatment consisted of symptomatic measures, support of vital functions and i.v. antivenom. The mortality was 1% among children and 0.28% for the total number of patients.
Freire-Maia
L
L
Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Campos
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JA
Amaral
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CF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000628:therapy; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000188:drug therapy; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000628:therapy; D065008:Scorpion Stings / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012605:Scorpions; D014839:Vomiting / Q000188:drug therapy
D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; D012604:Scorpion Venoms