Goyffon et al described various stages of scorpion envenomation.
Stage |
Severity |
Clinical Features |
I |
|
immediate, intense pain that may fluctuate in intensity, lasting up to 24 hours |
Ia |
"benign" |
isolated pain without generalized symptoms |
Ib |
moderate |
pain plus generalized symptoms (agitation, sweating, nausea, feelings of being faint, alternating hypotension and hypertension |
II |
severe |
systemic muscarinic symptoms (sweating, epigastric pain, vomiting, colics, diarrhea, priapism, hypotension, bradycardia, dyspnea), fever |
III |
extreme |
cardiovascular collapse, pulmonary edema, bronchospasm, cyanosis, severe hyperthermia, cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial ischemia, death |
where:
• Bahloul et al (see below) include coma and/or convulsions as clinical features of Stage III.
Laboratory findings:
(1) hyperglycemia
(2) leukocytosis up to 40,000 per µL
(3) elevated CK-MB and troponin with myocardial damage in Stage III
Specialty: Toxicology, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care