Rahul Sinha^1,*, Ankit Kumar Meena², Niraj Chourey³, Arvinder Wander⁴, Yugandhar Vallabhaneni¹, Priyanka Chaudhary¹, Omsakthivelan Shanmugam¹, Nirupam Roy⁵, Prafull Kumar⁶, Ashish Upadhyay⁷

¹431 Field Hospital, Babina, India.

²Department of Pediatrics, ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Faridabad, Haryana, India.

³331 Field Hospital, Jhansi, India.

⁴Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhatinda, Punjab, India.

⁵Military Hospital, Babina, India.

⁶Headquarters 31Armed Division (Medical), Jhansi, India.

⁷Department of Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

*Corresponding author: Rahul Sinha

Published: April 15,2024

Abstract

Background: Scorpion envenomation is considered as one of the common medical emergencies in rural areas in India. The morbidity and mortality remain high in many rural areas due to inefficient access to medical facilities. This study was undertaken to know the clinical profile of patients with scorpion envenomation and analyse factors related to the outcome. Methods: A retrospective, observational study was conducted at a peripheral care centre in Western India from September 2023 to November 2023. All consecutive 50 adults who had reported to the peripheral care centre with scorpion envenomation during this period were included in the study. The medical records of these patients were analysed for demographic details, symptomatology, investigations, treatment modalities, and outcome. Results: Of the 50 consecutive patients who had scorpion, 82% were male with a mean (SD) age of 32.5(9.19) years and 24(48%) cases were categorized as mild, 22(44%) as moderate, and 4(8%) as severe. Notably, the lower limb was the predominant site of scorpion bites in 76% of the study participants. The red scorpion envenomation accounted for 38(76%) cases and 31(62%) cases experienced nocturnal bite. Pain swelling and redness were the most common symptoms of scorpion envenomation and common physical signs noted were high blood pressure (42%), tachycardia (40%), and shock (8%). Electrocardiography (ECG) changes were noted in 16% of cases, with sinus tachycardia being one of the common findings (90%). Half of our study participants did not require Prazosin, and the rest 50% received 2-4 doses of prazosin, and around 42% received prazosin within 12 hours of envenomation. The complications associated with scorpion envenomation such as high blood pressure, ECG changes, and restlessness significantly lower in participants who had received prazosin within 2-12 hours of envenomation (P value <0.05). Conclusions: This study emphasized the importance of considering geographic factors, scorpion species, and healthcare accessibility in managing scorpion envenomation cases.

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How to cite this paper

Clinical Profile of Patients with Scorpion Envenomation at a Peripheral Center of Western India: A Retrospective Study

How to cite this paper: Rahul Sinha, Ankit Kumar Meena, Niraj Chourey, Arvinder Wander, Yugandhar Vallabhaneni, Priyanka Chaudhary, Omsakthivelan Shanmugam, Nirupam Roy, Prafull Kumar, Ashish Upadhyay. (2024) Clinical Profile of Patients with Scorpion Envenomation at a Peripheral Center of Western India: A Retrospective Study. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine Research, 8(2), 191-197.

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.26855/ijcemr.2024.04.001

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Clinical Profile of Patients with Scorpion Envenomation at a Peripheral Center of Western India: A Retrospective Study

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