What are the symptoms of a scorpion sting?
- In general, the sting usually causes discomfort that slowly decreases over time. The discomfort, described below, usually ranges from moderate to severe.
- A person who has been stung by a scorpion may feel a painful, tingling, burning or numbing sensation at the sting site.
- The reaction at the sting site may appear mild. Rarely, a person experiencing a serious reaction may develop severe symptoms throughout the body.
- Severe symptoms include
- widespread numbness,
- difficulty swallowing,
- a thick tongue,
- blurred vision,
- roving eye movements,
- seizures,
- salivation, and
- difficulty breathing.
These symptoms constitute a medical emergency. Death may occur.
Scorpion Sting Antidote
FDA Approves First Scorpion Sting Antidote
“Once stung, twice shy” are words to live by in the Southwestern United States, where about 11,000 people a year are stung by scorpions in Arizona alone.
Though rarely life threatening, scorpion stings can be extremely painful, causing numbness and burning at the wound site. And there’s been little a victim could do to ease the pain.
Until now.
The Food and Drug Administration approved the first treatment specifically for the sting of the Centruroides scorpion, the most common type in the United States.
The new biologic treatment – called Anascorp – was given a priority review because adequate treatment did not exist in the United States, says Karen Midthun, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
“This product provides a new treatment for children and adults and is designed specifically for scorpion stings,” Midthun says. “Scorpion stings can be life-threatening, especially in infants and children.”
Severe stings can cause loss of muscle control and difficulty breathing, requiring heavy sedation and intensive care in a hospital.
SOURCE:
FDA.gov. FDA Approves First Scorpion Sting Antidote.
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What causes the symptoms associated with a scorpion sting?
The cause of the scorpion’s sting symptoms is a barb or stinger that contains a protein toxin (also termed venom). The toxin is responsible for the symptoms listed above. The toxin is not pure; it contains a mixture of proteins (neurotoxin, protein inhibitors, and other substances). The types differ from species to species and likely have evolved to target the specific prey and predators of the particular scorpion species. Depending on the literature source, only about 25 to 40 of the approximate 2000 species of scorpions have toxins or venoms that are dangerous to humans. Chlorotoxin and Maurotoxin are two scorpion toxins that have been isolated and are currently being studied as potential treatments for diseases such as cancer.
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Scorpion Sting Treatment
In most scorpion stings of adults, treatment is simply supportive and can be done at home.
- Wash the sting with soap and water and remove all jewelry because swelling of tissue may impede the circulation if it not allowed to expand (for example, a sting on a finger that has a ring surrounding it).
- Apply cool compresses, usually 10 minutes on and ten minutes off of the site of the sting.
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol) 1-2 tablets every 4 hours may be given to relieve pain (usually not to exceed 3g per 24 hours). Avoid aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil,Motrin) because they may contribute to other problems.
- Antibiotics are not helpful unless the sting area become secondarily infected.
- Do not cut into the wound or apply suction.
- If a child is 5 years or younger is stung, seek evaluation by a medical caregiver.
- If symptoms increase in severity, go to an Emergency Department.
- Call Poison Control at 1 800 222 1222 if you are unsure about what to do if you or a child is stung.
When to Seek Medical Care for a Scorpion Sting
Most infants, small children and the elderly, especially if they are stung by a bark scorpion which inhabits large areas in Arizona and New Mexico, should be seen quickly by a doctor as some of the severe reactions occur in these populations. However, anyone who experiences the severe symptoms listed above after a scorpion sting needs immediate treatment in an emergency department.
What to do:
- Continuously apply ice to the sting area.
- If there is no danger to other people, carefully collecting a dead or injured scorpion into a sealed container to show to the physician may be helpful.
- Antivenom therapy is available for the Centruroides species (bark scorpion), the antivenom (Anascorp) has been approved for use against the bark scorpion sting in 2011 by the FDA. It is made by immunizing horses with the venom and then the antivenom (immunoglobulin) is harvested from horse blood. The antivenom may stop all symptoms within about 4 hours after administration. Other researchers are developing antivenom to other species of scorpions.
- All but the mildest of symptoms require hospital admission for 24 hours of observation, especially for children.
- Consult a doctor about treatment with available medications if antivenom is not available.
Scorpion Sting Prevention
Many scorpion stings can be prevented by taking precautions such as shaking out clothing and shoes to dislodge any scorpions, wearing clothing that covers the body (for example, wearing gloves and tucking in pant legs into boots may limit exposure). Many pesticides that are commercially used outside on homes may make some scorpions sluggish and easier to kill before they can sting. In addition, pesticides may markedly reduce the food source of scorpions.
Most investigators suggest that if a scorpion is seen or felt on the skin, it is better to brush it off quickly instead of slapping at it because the scorpion will likely sting if the slap does not kill it.
Scorpions glow (fluoresce) under UV light (black light), so if a person is doing tasks in areas where scorpions might reside (dark areas like a closet or underneath a porch), people can use a black light to find them before they sting. This technique can be used in homes at night when scorpions are more active and may be found on the floors or walls.
Scorpion Sting Pictures
A scorpion (Centruroides exilicauda).Click to view larger image.
Scorpion Sting
Overview
The pain you feel after a scorpion sting is instantaneous and extreme. Any swelling and redness will usually appear within five minutes. More severe symptoms, if they’re going to occur, will come on within the hour.
It’s possible to die from a scorpion sting, though unlikely. There are an estimated 1,500 species of scorpion in the world, and only 30 of these produce venom toxic enough to be fatal. In the United States, there is only one species of venomous scorpion, the bark scorpion.
Scorpions are predatory creatures that belong to the arachnid family. They have eight legs and can be recognized by their pair of grasping pedipalps, which resemble pinchers, and their narrow, segmented tail. This tail is often carried in a forward curve over a scorpion’s back and ends with a stinger.
Most scorpion stings don’t require treatment, though it can be a good idea to see your doctor as a precaution. If symptoms are severe, you may need to receive hospital care. You may need to take sedatives if you’re experiencing muscle spasms and intravenous (IV) medication to treat high blood pressure, pain, and agitation.
Scorpion antivenom is sometimes used with caution because of concerns over its side effects and cost (although with the development of Anascorp antivenom, adverse affects have been reduced).
Antivenom is most effective if given before symptoms develop, so children who are seen in remote rural emergency rooms in areas with scorpions, where access to medical care is limited, are often treated with antivenom as a preventive measure. Your doctor may also recommend antivenom if your symptoms are extremely severe.
Your treatment will depend on whether your doctor decides that your symptoms are due to an allergic reaction, rather than the effects of the venom itself, and how severe these symptoms are.
The majority of scorpion stings only cause localized symptoms, such as warmth and pain at the site of the sting. Symptoms can be extremely intense, even if swelling or redness isn’t visible.
Symptoms at the site of the sting can include:
- intense pain
- tingling and numbness around the sting
- swelling around the sting
Symptoms related to widespread effects of venom can include:
- breathing difficulties
- muscle thrashing or twitching
- unusual movements of the neck, head, and eyes
- dribbling or drooling
- sweating
- nausea
- vomiting
- high blood pressure
- accelerated heart rate or irregular heartbeat
- restlessness, excitability, or inconsolable crying
It’s also possible for people who’ve been stung previously by scorpions to have an allergic reaction to a subsequent sting. It’s occasionally severe enough to cause a life-threatening condition called anaphylaxis. Symptoms in these cases are similar to those of anaphylaxis caused by bee stings and can include trouble breathing, hives, nausea, and vomiting.
Older adults and children are the most likely to die from an untreated venomous scorpion bite. Death is typically caused by heart or respiratory failure some hours after they have been stung. There have been very few deaths from scorpion stings reported in the United States.
Another possible complication of a scorpion sting, although it is very rare, is anaphylaxis.
Scorpion stings are more dangerous in parts of the world where access to medical care is restricted. Death from scorpion stings is a public health problem in some parts of South America, Mexico, the Middle East, North Africa, and India.
Scorpions often hide in firewood, clothes, bed linen, shoes, and garbage pails, so care should be taken when handling these things. They’re more likely to be seen during the warmer seasons and when hiking or camping.
Scorpion stings usually occur on the hands, arms, feet, and legs.
The majority of scorpion stings, while extremely painful, are nonvenomous and therefore harmless. If you’ve received a sting from a venomous scorpion and you live in an area that has access to good medical care, you’ll usually recover quickly and without complications.
Older adults and children have an increased risk of adverse reactions to scorpion stings. People in certain areas of the world where access to medical care is restricted are also at greater risk.
In extremely rare cases, and usually in people who’ve experienced a previous scorpion sting, subsequent stings can lead to anaphylaxis. Even in these cases, in areas with good medical care, if the anaphylaxis is treated promptly, you can expect to make a full recovery.
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DR. TRYNAADH 