[Scorpion envenomation treated in the Infectious and Tropical Diseases at the Donka National Hospital, Guinea]

Bull Soc Pathol Exot. 2014 Dec;107(5):323-6. doi: 10.1007/s13149-014-0385-2. Epub 2014 Aug 26.
[Article in French]

Abstract

A retrospective descriptive study was conducted from 1(st) October 2010 to 30 November 2012 on the records of patients admitted for scorpion envenomation in the Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at the Donka National Hospital. The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiological profile and clinical characteristics of scorpion envenomation in Maritime Guinea, from scorpion stings recently covered in this service. We collected 75 cases of scorpion envenomation. The median age was 21.5 with interquartile 8 and 20 and sex ratio was 1.29. The upper limbs were involved in 55% of cases, followed by the lower limbs (35%), trunk (6%), head and neck (4%). We observed 63% of patients with local signs, 30% mild and general clinical signs of 7% severe systemic symptoms. All patients received an analgesic and a heterologous antitoxin, associated with an antibiotic (87% of patients), a corticosteroid (72%), diazepam (13%) and furosemide (34.6%). The incidence of scorpion envenomation is not negligible despite underreporting of cases, most often treated in traditional medicine.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones / therapeutic use
  • Adult
  • Analgesics / therapeutic use
  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antitoxins / therapeutic use
  • Child
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Female
  • Furosemide / therapeutic use
  • Guinea / epidemiology
  • Hospitals, Public / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Medicine, African Traditional
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Scorpion Stings / drug therapy
  • Scorpion Stings / epidemiology*
  • Scorpion Stings / therapy
  • Scorpions
  • Symptom Assessment
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones
  • Analgesics
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antitoxins
  • Furosemide