Epidemiologic and clinical survey of victims of centipede stings admitted to Hospital Vital Brazil (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Author(s)

Medeiros, C. R. ^{[1, 2]} ; Susaki, T. T. ^[1] ; Knysak, I. ^[3] ; Cardoso, J. L. C. ^[1] ; Malaque, C. M. S. ^[1] ; Fan, H. W. ^[1] ; Santoro, M. L. ^[4] ; Franca, F. O. S. ^[1] ; Barbaro, K. C. ^[5]

Affiliation

^[1] Hosp Vital Brazil, Butantan Inst, BR-05503900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Hosp Clin, Div Clin Immunol & Allergy, Dept Internal Med, BR-05508 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] Butantan Inst, Lab Arthropods, BR-05503900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] Butantan Inst, Lab Pathophysiol, BR-05503900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[5] Butantan Inst, Immunopathol Lab, BR-05503900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Toxicon; v. 52, n. 5, p. 606-610, OCT 2008.
• Web of Science Citations: 13

Abstract

We retrospectively analyzed 98 proven cases of centipede stings admitted to Hospital Vital Brazil, Butantan Institute, Sao Paulo, Brazil, between 1990 and 2007. Most stings occurred at the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo city (n = 94, 95.9%), in the domiciles of patients (n = 67, 68.4%), and during the warm-rainy season (n = 60, 61.2%). The mean age of the victims was 32.0 +/- 18.8-years-old. Cryptops and Otostigmus genera were responsible for most cases. Around 86% of the patients sought medical care within 6 h after the sting. Both lower (56.1%) and upper limbs (41.8%) were most frequently bitten, especially the feet and hands (89.8%). The most frequent local clinical manifestations were pain (94.9%), erythema (44.9%) and edema (21.4%), and the latter was mainly observed in patients bitten by Otostigmus spp. Supportive treatment was used in only 28.6% of the patients, namely administration of local anesthesia (9.2%) and systemic analgesia (13.3%). No sequels or complications were observed in patients, and the prognostic was benign. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)