What is the treatment of envenomation by Centruroides sulpturatus scorpion in children?
According to the cited source, “Treatment begins with general supportive care. Cryotherapy at the site of the sting has been advocated to reduce swelling and local indurations. Anascorp is the first ever FDA-approved scorpion antivenom that is available in the US market. Although the use of antivenom remains controversial, clinical studies have shown that in the children, it reversed signs of scorpion envenomation and length of hospitalization. Sedative anticonvulsants, in particular, phenobarbital (5-10 mg/kg) or benzodiazepines (midazolam 0.05 to 0.1 mg/kg) intravenously are used to treat persistent hyperactivity, convulsions and/or agitation.”
Isbister GK, Bawaskar HS. Scorpion envenomation. N Engl J Med. 2014 Jul 31;371(5):457-63. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1401108. PMID: 25075837.
Contributed by Zach Panzer, MD, Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio