[Centipede stings notified by the "Centro de Informações Toxicológicas de Belém", over a 2-year period].
Centipedes are arthropods of the class Chilopoda. The objective of this work was to study the incidence of accidents involving centipedes at "Centro de Informações Toxicológicas de Belém" (CIT-Belém) over a two-year period. Seventy-six patients were studied from March 30, 1998 until March 30, 2000. Centipede accidents occurred in 16.8% of all accidents by venomous animals at Centro de Informações Toxicológicas de Belém; compared to snake accidents, 44.4 % and scorpion accidents, 20.5%. The majority of cases occurred in the residence (86.8%). The most important age group was 20-49 years old (64.4%). The part of human body mostly affected was the superior members (47.4 %). Local pain and edema were found in 95.8% and 52.1% of the patients, respectively. Treatment was symptomatic. Healing occurred in 94.7%, although the outcome of 5.3% of cases was unknown. Centipede accidents are a benign accident, occurring within the residence and treatment consists of measures to decrease the pain.
Barroso
E
E
Universidade Federal do Pará, Guama Belem, PA, Brasil.
Hidaka
A S
AS
dos Santos
A X
AX
Matos França
J D
JD
de Sousa
A M
AM
Rodrigues Valente
J
J
Amoras Magalhães
A F
AF
Oliveira Pardal
P P
PP
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors