Received: July 14, 2008.

Accepted: February 12, 2009.

Abstract published online: March 5, 2009.

Full paper published online: May 30, 2009.

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SCORPION STINGS IN CHILDREN IN FEZ, MOROCCO

Abourazzak S (1), Achour S (2), El Arqam L (1), Atmani S (1), Chaouki S (1), Semlali I (2), Soulaymani Bencheikh R (2), Bouharrou A (1), Hida M (1)

(1) Department of Pediatrics, Hassan II University Hospital Center, Fez, Morocco; (2) Poison Control and Pharmacovigilance Center of Morocco, Rabat Institute, Madinat Al Irfane, Rabat, Morocco.

ABSTRACT: Scorpion stings are a public health problem in Morocco, especially among children, who experience the most severe cases. Epidemiological and clinical findings on scorpion stings in Fez, Morocco, were evaluated in this investigation. Of 163 cases that required medical attention, 62.6% were male children. The mean age of patients was 4.8 ± 3.4 years. The mean time between stings and first medical attention was 3.36 ± 2.5 hours. Almost all cases occurred in the summer (94%) and extremities represented the most frequent sting sites (86.5%). Local pain, hyperemia, scarification, vomiting, sweating, restlessness, tachycardia and tachypnea were the observed clinical symptoms. Regarding severity, 55.2% of patients belonged to class III, followed by class II (26.4%) and class I (18.4%). None of our patients received antivenom; however, all of them were treated symptomatically depending on clinical manifestations.

KEY WORDS: scorpion sting, clinical symptoms, envenomation, treatment, children, Morocco.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: There is no conflict.

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

SANA ABOURAZZAK, Department of Pediatrics, Hassan II University Hospital, Fez 30 000, Morocco. Phone: +212 67 66 54 05. Fax: +212 35 93 22 74. Email: abourazzak77@yahoo.fr.