Pediatric scorpionism in southwest Turkey: the experience of a training and research hospital

Year 2022, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 185 - 189, 20.08.2022

Duygu Çalışkan , Ayça Esra Akkaya Kuybulu

https://doi.org/10.30565/medalanya.1070971

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and laboratory features and prognosis of scorpion stings in children.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of children with scorpion stings, who were admitted to the pediatric emergency department in Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University (ALKU) Training and Research Hospital between the 1st of January 2019 and the 31st of December 2020. Demographic data, admission date, time periods from sting to admission to hospital and geographical location in which the sting occurred were recorded. Recordings were also made of the affected body sites, local and systemic signs and symptoms of envenomation, results of hematological and biochemical laboratory tests, management, length of hospital stay and outcome.

Results: In total, medical records of 111 children were reviewed. Patients were separated according to the clinical findings into three groups, seventy patients (63.1%) with mild symptoms and thirty-four patients (30.6%) with moderate symptoms, seven patients (6.3%) with severe symptoms. There was one exitus due to scorpion stings in the study period. Forty-one (37%) patients were hospitalised, and seven patients (6.3%) were hospitalised in the pediatric intensive care unit. Five patients (4%) received doxazosin and nineteen (17%) patients had antivenom therapy. Hospitalization in the intensive care unit was necessary for seven cases. No patient exhibited sequelae at the hospital discharge.

Conclusions: Scorpion stings in our region mostly result in mild envenomation. Doxazosin, an analog of prazosin more readily available in our country, can be considered as a treatment option in serious scorpion envenomations with significant sympathetic symptoms.

Keywords

scorpion, scorpion sting, pediatric emergency, envenomation, antivenom, prazosin

Güneybatı Türkiye'de Çocuklarda Akrep Sokması: Bir Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Deneyimi

Abstract

Amaç: Çalışmamızın amacı, akrep sokması nedeni ile başvuran çocukların klinik ve laboratuvar özelliklerini ve prognozunu değerlendirmektir.

Yöntem: Alaaddin Keykubat Üniversitesi (ALKÜ) Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Acil Servisi'ne 1 Ocak 2019-31 Aralık 2020 tarihlerinde akrep sokması nedeniyle başvuran çocuk hastaların verileri retrospektif olarak incelendi. Vakaların başvuru tarihi, sokulan bölge, hastaneye başvuru saati, olayın saati ve sokulma ile başvuru arasında geçen süre, hastaneye yatış gereksinimi, zehirlenmenin lokal ve sistemik belirti ve semptomları, hematolojik ve biyokimyasal laboratuvar testleri, hastaya verilen medikal tedaviler, hastanede kalış süresi kaydedildi.

Bulgular: Toplam 111 hastanın verileri tarandı. Hastalar klinik bulgulara göre üç gruba ayrıldı.Yetmiş hastada (%63.1) hafif, 34 hastada (%30.6) orta, 7 hastada (%6.3) şiddetli semptomlar saptandı. Çalışma döneminde akrep sokması nedeniyle 1 ölüm meydana geldi. Beş (%4) hastaya doksazosin ve 19 (%17) hastaya antivenom verildi. .41 hasta için (%37) hastaneye yatış gerekti. Yedi hastada yoğun bakım ünitesinde yatış gerekti. Hastaneden taburcu olurken hiçbir hastada sekel görülmedi.

Sonuç: Bölgemizde akrep sokmaları çoğunlukla hafif klinik tablo ile sonuçlanmaktadır. Doksazosin ülkemizde daha kolay bulunabilen bir prazosin analoğu olarak sempatik semptomları olan, ciddi akrep zehirlenmelerinde tedavide seçenek olarak düşünülebilir.

Keywords

akrep, akrep sokması, çocuk acil, antivenom, prazosin

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