Epidemiological Study of Scorpion Sting in Lordegan City during the Years 2014- 2017

Introduction: Scorpion sting is one of the major health risks in many countries around the world. . Lordegan is one of the areas where several reports of scorpion stings occur. The purpose of this study was to describe the epidemiological and demographic characteristics of selected scorpions for preventive measures. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to collect information about all the scorpion patients in Lordegan city health center during 2014-2017 Results: The results showed that the total number of scorpion stings was 2,422, of which 1,124 cases were female (46.4%) and 1,298 cases were male (53.6%). Of the total number of stings, 2 deaths occurred. Death rate of the cases in this area is about .01 % in 1000 people. It’s worth noting that 2,060 of the cases were rural (85.1%) and 362 were urban (14.9%). 764 (31.5%) people’s visits to the hospital lasted less than 1 hour and 30 minutes, and 749 people (31%) stayed between 1 hour and 30 minutes to 3 hours and 909 people (37.5%) stayed more than three hours. 39% of victims were stung on the leg, 35% on their arms, 20% on their trunks, 6% on their head and necks. 99.9% of victims recovered from the stings, and 0.01% died from the stings. The majority of recorded stings took place from April to October. The 15- to 24-year-old age group suffered the highest number of stings, and the 65-year-old and older age group suffered the lowest number. 80.6% of stings were by yellow scorpions and 19.4% by black scorpions. Conclusion: Scorpion stings are common in Lordegan, especially in the summer months. Public education, as well as the risk-reduction strategies of individuals can prevent scorpion stings.