RESUMO
To determine clinical and epidemiological features of scorpion stings in two departments of Colombia, a descriptive study was performed in the hospitals of 10 towns from Antioquia (2 256 071 inhabitants) and five from Tolima (630 424 inhabitants). One hundred and twenty-nine cases were admitted during one year, 51 in Antioquia, 78 in Tolima and 41 were children less than 15 years old. Most stings (70.5%) occurred inside the house; 27.9% were on the hands and 26.4% on the feet. The scorpion species involved were Tityus pachyurus (51), Centruroides gracilis (31), T. fuehrmanni (29), T. asthenes (7) and Chactas spp. (1). In 10 cases the scorpion involved was not identified. Systemic envenoming signs (e.g. vomiting, tachypnea) were significantly more frequent in children than in adults (P < 0.05). Four children had hypertension, but none developed pulmonary oedema. One 3-year-old girl, stung by T. asthenes, had acute oedematous pancreatitis. Ninety-eight patients had mild envenoming. Moderate (27 patients) and severe (four patients) envenoming was significantly more frequent in children than in adults (P = 0.003; relative risk = 2.97). A pepsin-digested anti-Centruroides spp. antivenom was administered to 19 of 31 patients presenting systemic envenoming signs. No adverse reactions to antivenom were observed.
Assuntos
Picadas de Escorpião/epidemiologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Distribuição por Idade , Animais , Antídotos/uso terapêutico , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Colômbia/epidemiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Incidência , Lactente , Masculino , Medicina Tradicional , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Picadas de Escorpião/complicações , Picadas de Escorpião/terapia , Escorpiões , Fatores de Tempo , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
Leptospira interrogans serotypes pomona and icterohaemorrhagiae were isolated from the kidneys of Rattus norvegicus trapped on pomona infected piggeries. The isolation of pomona from one of 111 cultured kidneys, although of interest, strongly suggests that this rat does not play an important part in the epidemiology of infection by this serotype. Kidney tubular degeneration, focal mononuclear infiltrations and fibroplasia are morphological traces which remain after an attack of leptospirosis. The high percentage (48.6) of these lesions found in the rat kidneys examined does not seem to be related to serotype pomona but to icterohaemorrhagiae. The importance of this last serotype in swine in the Cauca Valley has yet to be assessed.
