Field Guide to Venomous and Medically Important Invertebrates ...

motor skills become impaired. Other striking features include the inability to write or
manipulate small objects, difficulty articulating speech, and varying degrees of loss of
pharyngeal reflexes. Heightened sensitivity to touch, cold or heat, muscle pain and cramps also
occur in many patients. Systemic symptoms and signs usually develop within 4 hours of the
sting, and anaphylaxis and death from cardiac or respiratory failure can occur within 24 hours.
However, despite the seriousness of such symptoms in victims, death from scorpion stings has
become less common due to the availability of antivenom in some areas where highly venomous
species occur. Recovery often is complicated by varying degrees of respiratory dysfunction
which tend to be more serious in children.
Treatment of envenomation by scorpions
Scorpion stings should always be treated as a medical emergency that requires treatment as soon
as possible, especially when young children are concerned. Victims of scorpion sting,
particularly if known dangerous species are involved, should be closely observed for at least 24
hours. Children and other high-risk patients should be hospitalized. Treatments for scorpion
envenomation may range from using only a cold compress or ice on the sting site to
administration of antivenom. Local pain can safely be relieved with a local anesthetic (e.g.,
xylocain or ice pack), and physician prescribed medications such as barbiturates, diazepam and
atropine can be used for cases involving neurological symptoms. However, some analgesics like
morphine, demerol, codein or other morphine derivatives, or paraldehyde, valium and thorazine
may increase the toxicity of venom as much as seven times and should be administered
cautiously. Corticosteroids, adequate hydration, blood transfusion and diuretics may help in
management of severe cases. All patients with symptoms and signs of systemic envenomation