Citation

Aboumaâd B, Tiger A, Khattabi A, Soulaymani R, Lahssaini M, Benhassain SM, Iba N. Toxicon 2014; 78: 78–82.

Affiliation

Medical Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Mohammed V, El Jadida, Morocco; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Science and Technology, University Hassan 1, 26000 Settat, Morocco.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.toxicon.2013.11.016

PMID

24316266

Abstract

For several decades, Morocco is confronted to medico-social problem of scorpion stings and envenomations. In 2009, epidemiological data established by the Poison Control Center recorded 29,816 stung patients, with an incidence of 1.1‰ and a fatality rate of 0.18%. The neurotoxins from scorpion venom are potent activators of the autonomic nervous system resulting a physiopathological disorder of vital systems. The most serious clinical manifestations are neurotoxic effects, pulmonary edema and cardiovascular distress. This present work reports the cases of three children (4 years and 6 months, 8 months and 15 days, 4 years), hospitalized in intensive care for an envenomation by Androctonus mauritanicus (the most fatal scorpion specie). The children presented cardiac dysfunction where pulmonary edema and state of shock were complications resultants. Two cases survived after supportive and symptomatic treatment based on dobutamine as primordial treatment in cardiovascular and pulmonary correction and other drugs. The third case died. The objective of this work was to detect the limit of the effectiveness of symptomatic treatment during a severe scorpion envenomation.

Language: en