title: [Epidemiological and clinical aspects of scorpion envenomation in the region of Santarém, Pará, Brazil].
abstract: This is a descriptive and prospective study on epidemiological and clinical aspects of 72 scorpion accidents admitted to Santarém Municipal Hospital, state of Pará, Brazil, from February 2000 to February 2001. Only 8.3% brought the animal with them, identified as T. cambridgei. The majority of victims were male (83.3%). The mean age and the time of the medical help were respectively 33.6 +/- 18.3 years and 4.6 +/- 3.2 hours. The parts of the body most affected were the superior members (51.5%). Local symptoms occurred in 91.7% cases and systemic manifestations in 98.6% of the accidents. The local symptoms included: paresthesia in 79.2% cases, pain in 52.8% and edema in 26.4%. Among the systemic manifestations neurological disorders predominated in 97.2%, and the symptom of "electric shock" occurred in 88.9% patients. The most common neurological signs were: myoclonia (93%), dysmetria (86.1%), dysarthria (80.6%), and ataxia (70.8%). The accidents were classified as moderate in 76.4% without any serious cases. The specific anti-venom serum was not administered in 32.7% of the moderate cases, due to non-availability of the anti-venom serum at the time of attendance. The victims of scorpion envenomation notified at Santarém, present a different clinical and regional behavior from previous reports in Brazil and Amazonia regions. The predominantly neurological picture has not previously been described in the Brazilian literature.
authors.affiliation: Disciplina de Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias do Departamento de Patologia Tropical, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brasil. citbelem@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Pedro Pereira de Oliveira
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Pardal
authors.forename: Lívia Correa
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jennings
authors.forename: Joseana Silva de Oliveira
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Pardal
authors.forename: Maria Rita de Cássia da Costa
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Monteiro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D065008:Scorpion Stings / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012605:Scorpions; D012720:Severity of Illness Index