Importance of antivenom in management of scorpion envenomation with epidemiologic and clinical characteristics

The management of scorpion stings, especially those including antivenom treatment, remains a subject of controversy. The purpose of this study was to offer the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of patients with scorpion sting and to determine the efficacy of antivenom treatment in the management of these patients. A total of 106 adult patients admitted for scorpion sting to our ED between January 2013 and December 2015 were evaluated and 98 patients were included in the study. The clinical severity and treatment of each case was evaluated using Abroug’s classification. According to Abroug’s classification, there were 75 (76.5%), 15 (15.3%), and eight (8.2%) patients in grade I, II, and III, respectively. Length of stay of the Abroug grade II patients who did not receive scorpion antiserum was longer than grade II patients who received scorpion antiserum. However, length of stay of the grade III patients who did not receive scorpion antiserum was shorter than grade III patients who received scorpion antiserum. It was observed that even though scorpion antiserum can have serious side effects, the administration of a low dose of antivenom relieved severe pain that was not relieved by symptomatic treatment or narcotic analgesics and the Abroug’s classification grades of the cases and not requiring antivenom treatment at the beginning can change or require antivenom in the following period. It was concluded that patients with local symptoms should be followed up for 6-12 hours or to be referred to centers performing this