Scorpion sting in children. A review of 51 cases.

Scorpion sting in children is a hazardous and potentially lethal condition. Fifty-one infants and children were admitted to the Pediatric Departments at the Hadassah-Hebrew University Hospitals in Jerusalem, during a 5-year period, following scorpion sting. Fifteen (29.4%) had severe systemic signs of envenomation and two (3.9%) died. Analysis of our data showed that patients with severe toxicity were brought to the hospital after a significantly longer time lapse than were the patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms. The current management of children with scorpion envenomation consists of administration of specific antivenom and close surveillance in an intensive care unit, where vital signs and continuous cardiac monitoring enable early initiation of therapy for life-threatening complications, such as cardiac and respiratory failure, convulsions, or hypertension.