Cardiovascular dysfunction and pulmonary edema secondary to severe envenoming by Tityus pachyurus sting. Case report

• Published in: Toxicon (Oxford) Vol. 60; no. 4; pp. 603 - 606
• Main Authors: Izquierdo, Ledys María, Rodríguez Buitrago, Javier R.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15.09.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal poisons toxicology. Antivenoms; Animals; Antivenins - therapeutic use; antivenoms; Biological and medical sciences; bites and stings; boys; cardiac arrest; Cardiac dysrhythmias; Cardiology. Vascular system; case studies; Child; children; Dopamine - therapeutic use; Drug Therapy, Combination; edema; Heart; Heart arrest; Heart Arrest - chemically induced; Heart Arrest - drug therapy; Heart Arrest - physiopathology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Nitroprusside - therapeutic use; Poisoning; Prazosin - therapeutic use; Pulmonary edema; Pulmonary Edema - chemically induced; Pulmonary Edema - drug therapy; Pulmonary Edema - physiopathology; Scorpion Stings - chemically induced; Scorpion Stings - drug therapy; Scorpion Venoms - poisoning; Scorpions - physiology; Tachycardia, Ventricular - chemically induced; Tachycardia, Ventricular - physiopathology; Tityus; Toxicology; Treatment Outcome; Ventricular tachycardia; World Health Organization; Colombia; Heart arrest; Ventricular tachycardia; Poisoning; Tityus; Pulmonary edema; Human; Cardiocirculatory arrest; Scorpionides; Secondary; Envenomation; Arrhythmia; Sting; Animal origin; Cardiovascular disease; Lung edema; Case study; Arachnida; Dysfunction; Arthropoda; Heart disease; Circulatory system; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0041-0101; 1879-3150
• DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2012.05.021

The scorpion envenomation is considered the second event by poisonous animals in importance around the world according to the World Health Organization. In Colombia there are 35 species of clinical significance, among them, the genus Tityus, which contains the most deadly scorpions in South America and is represented by 29 species of wide distribution in Colombia, which include Tityus pachyurus causing life-threatening events, especially in children. The present work shows the case of a 12 years old boy, from Tolemaida to 2 h of Bogotá D.C., who was stung by a scorpion on his right thigh, with the onset of intense signs and symptoms of local effect rapidly progressing to severe systemic involvement causing myocardial dysfunction, cardiovascular collapse and heart arrest, and his favorable response to adequate basic and advanced life support and use of scorpion-specific F(ab′)2 antivenom.