PMID- 12782088
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20030923
LR  - 20190823
IS  - 0041-0101 (Print)
IS  - 0041-0101 (Linking)
VI  - 41
IP  - 7
DP  - 2003 Jun
TI  - Australian scorpion stings: a prospective study of definite stings.
PG  - 877-83
AB  - There is little information on scorpion stings in Australia. The aim of this 
      study is to describe the circumstances and clinical effects of stings by 
      Australian scorpions. Cases of scorpion stings were collected prospectively from 
      calls and presentations to Australian poison information centres and emergency 
      departments from February 2000 to April 2002. Only definite scorpion stings where 
      the scorpion was immediately collected and expertly identified were included. 
      There were 95 patients, 33 males and 62 females, with a mean age of 32 (SD 19.5; 
      range 1-71) and 23 children (age<15 years). Three families of scorpions caused 
      all stings: Buthidae (79), Bothruiridae (11, all Cercophonius spp.) and 
      Urodacidae (five, all Urodacus spp.). The majority of stings (76%) were by one 
      genus of scorpion Lychas spp. Seventy one percent of stings occurred between 6pm 
      and 8am and 82 (86%) occurred indoors. Sixty percent of stings occurred on distal 
      limbs. The median duration of effects was 6 h (interquartile range (IQR): 1-24 
      h). Immediate localised pain occurred in all cases and was severe in 76 cases 
      (80%). Other local effects included red mark/redness (66%), tenderness (35%), 
      numbness (12%) and paraesthesia (11%). Minor systemic effects (nausea, headache 
      and malaise) occurred in 11% of cases. There were no deaths or major systemic 
      envenoming. Less severe effects were observed for the larger Urodacus species, 
      compared to Lychas spp. Scorpion stings in Australia do not appear to cause 
      severe or life-threatening effects, even in children. This differs from other 
      parts of the world, where severe envenoming is reported. The major clinical 
      effect is severe pain, consistent with other scorpion stings. Most stings 
      occurred indoors and at night.
FAU - Isbister, Geoffrey K
AU  - Isbister GK
AD  - Discipline of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle Mater 
      Misericordiae Hospital, Clinical Sciences Building, Level 5 Edith Street, 
      Waratah, NSW 2298, Australia. gsbite@bigpond.com
FAU - Volschenk, Erich S
AU  - Volschenk ES
FAU - Balit, Corrine R
AU  - Balit CR
FAU - Harvey, Mark S
AU  - Harvey MS
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Multicenter Study
PL  - England
TA  - Toxicon
JT  - Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology
JID - 1307333
SB  - IM
MH  - Adolescent
MH  - Adult
MH  - Aged
MH  - Animals
MH  - Australia/epidemiology
MH  - Child
MH  - Child, Preschool
MH  - Emergency Treatment
MH  - Female
MH  - Geography
MH  - Humans
MH  - Infant
MH  - Male
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Poison Control Centers
MH  - Prospective Studies
MH  - Scorpion Stings/*epidemiology/*etiology/pathology
MH  - *Scorpions
MH  - Seasons
EDAT- 2003/06/05 05:00
MHDA- 2003/09/25 05:00
CRDT- 2003/06/05 05:00
PHST- 2003/06/05 05:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2003/09/25 05:00 [medline]
PHST- 2003/06/05 05:00 [entrez]
AID - S0041010103000655 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/s0041-0101(03)00065-5 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Toxicon. 2003 Jun;41(7):877-83. doi: 10.1016/s0041-0101(03)00065-5.