An Observational Study of Snake Bites versus Scorpion Stings: Cases Admitted to Alexandria Poison Center

Background: A common poisoning in tropical and subtropical areas is snake and scorpion poisoning. A massive scorpion swarm on in southern Egypt left three dead and five hundred hospitalized after heavy storms on 13 November 2021. The morbidity from scorpion sting and snake bite is a medical problem through all seasons of the year. This study was conducted to assess the clinical-epidemiological profile of snake bites and scorpion stings cases admitted to Alexandria poison center, Egypt. In addition, it compared snake bites and scorpion stings’ presentation, management, prognosis, and the effect of the polyvalent antivenom, locally produced by (VACSERA). Subjects and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at Alexandria poison center (APC), Alexandria, Egypt. All cases admitted to the hospitals from 1st March 2019 to 29th February 2020 were included. Results: The study included 130 cases of snake bites (94) and scorpion stings (36). 51.1% of patients with snake bites and 44.4% of patients with scorpion stings were in the age group 30 years. There was seasonal variation of snake bites, and scorpion stings with a reported statistically significant difference (P= 0.008). There was a significant difference between the two study groups regarding the local manifestations. 55.3 % of the cases received supportive measurements and 44.7 % received the polyvalent antivenom. Recovery was the main outcome in 95.4% of patients. Conclusion: There was a significant difference between the two studied groups regarding the local manifestations. The antivenom was not given to all cases. Recovery was the main outcome in 95.4% of patients.