Assessment of local pain and analgesia in envenoming by wandering spiders (Phoneutria spp.).

Phoneutrism (bites by wandering spiders of the genus Phoneutria) frequently results in local pain. We describe a retrospective cohort study of a case series of phoneutrism admitted to our Emergency Department (ED), in which we used the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS 0-10) to assess the intensity of local pain upon admission, and recorded the analgesic measures used to control this pain. Other criteria for inclusion were: (1) An age ≥8 years, (2) Treatment exclusively at our ED, and (3) Visualization or photographing the spider at the time of the bite and/or bringing the spider for identification. The patients were classified into three groups based on the intensity of pain at admission: group 1 - mild or no pain (NPRS: 0-3), group 2 - moderate pain (NPRS: 4-6), and group 3 - intense or severe pain (NPRS: 7-10). Fifty-two patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria (n = 11, 14 and 27 in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively), with a median age of 37 years. The median NPRS upon admission was 7 (interquartile range: 5-8). In patients with an NPRS <7 (groups 1 and 2), only dipyrone was used to alleviate the pain, with six cases in group 1 requiring no analgesia. Most of the cases in group 3 (19/27) were treated with a local anesthetic infiltration (2% lidocaine), in association with analgesics given i.v. in 16 cases (dipyrone, 14; tramadol, 2); additional analgesic treatment was required in seven cases, six of which were treated with tramadol i.v. The median time spent in the ED was 18, 58 and 120 min for groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. These findings show that most cases of envenoming by Phoneturia spp. involved intense local pain (NPRS ≥7), with local anesthetics being used only in these cases, often in association with dipyrone i.v.

SEVERE ACUTE TOXIC EXPOSURES IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: CASE SERIES.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a case series of severe acute toxic exposures (SATE) in individuals <20 years old followed-up by a regional Poison Control Center (PCC). METHODS: Descriptive cross-sectional study. All patients who were <20yo and classified as score 3 (severe) and 4 (fatal) following Poisoning Severity Score were included for analysis. According to the outcome, patients were classified as PSS 3 when they developed intense clinical manifestations with risk of death or important sequelae; and as PSS 4 when death had resulted from direct cause or complication of the initial exposure. The data of patients were obtained from the Brazilian electronic database system (DATATOX). RESULTS: During the biennium 2014-2015, Campinas PCC followed up 5,095 patients <20yo, with 30 being classified as SATE (PSS=3, n=24; PSS=4, n=6). The exposures circumstances were unintentional (15); intentional (14; suicide attempt = 11; street drugs consumption = 3); and not explained (1). The exposures were significantly more frequent in adolescents >14yo (n=17; p<0.01). The involved agents were venomous animals (8; scorpions=5); medicines (8; miscellaneous=6); chemicals (6); illegal rodenticides containing acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (chumbinho, 4); drugs of abuse (3); button battery (1). Three patients evolved with sequels (esophageal stricture post-corrosive ingestion). The median length of hospital stay was 6 days (IQR: 5-12 days); 26 patients were treated in intensive care units, and 22 of them needed mechanical ventilation; 12, inotropic/vasopressors; and 3, renal replacement therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Scorpion stings and poisonings caused by medicines and chemicals were the main causes of SATE. The SATE were significantly more frequent in adolescents, due to deliberate self-poisoning.

Severe acute toxic exposures in children and adolescents: case series / Exposições tóxicas agudas graves em crianças e adolescentes: série de casos

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe a case series of severe acute toxic exposures (SATE) in individuals <20 years old followed-up by a regional Poison Control Center (PCC). Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study. All patients who were <20yo and classified as score 3 (severe) and 4 (fatal) following Poisoning Severity Score were included for analysis. According to the outcome, patients were classified as PSS 3 when they developed intense clinical manifestations with risk of death or important sequelae; and as PSS 4 when death had resulted from direct cause or complication of the initial exposure. The data of patients were obtained from the Brazilian electronic database system (DATATOX). Results: During the biennium 2014-2015, Campinas PCC followed up 5,095 patients <20yo, with 30 being classified as SATE (PSS=3, n=24; PSS=4, n=6). The exposures circumstances were unintentional (15); intentional (14; suicide attempt = 11; street drugs consumption = 3); and not explained (1). The exposures were significantly more frequent in adolescents >14yo (n=17; p<0.01). The involved agents were venomous animals (8; scorpions=5); medicines (8; miscellaneous=6); chemicals (6); illegal rodenticides containing acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (chumbinho, 4); drugs of abuse (3); button battery (1). Three patients evolved with sequels (esophageal stricture post-corrosive ingestion). The median length of hospital stay was 6 days (IQR: 5-12 days); 26 patients were treated in intensive care units, and 22 of them needed mechanical ventilation; 12, inotropic/vasopressors; and 3, renal replacement therapy. Conclusions: Scorpion stings and poisonings caused by medicines and chemicals were the main causes of SATE. The SATE were significantly more frequent in adolescents, due to deliberate self-poisoning.

RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever uma série de casos de exposições tóxicas agudas graves (ETAG) em pacientes <20 anos seguidos por um Centro de Informação e Assistência Toxicológica (CIATox) regional. Métodos: Estudo descritivo de corte transversal. Incluídos no estudo todos os casos classificados como escore 3 (graves) e 4 (fatais) de acordo com o escore de gravidade de intoxicações (poisoning severity score - PSS). Segundo o PSS, os casos são classificados em relação ao desfecho como escore 3 quando os pacientes desenvolveram manifestações clínicas intensas, com risco de morte ou que resultaram em sequelas importantes; e escore 4 quando a morte foi resultado de causa direta ou por complicação da exposição. Os dados analisados foram obtidos da base eletrônica brasileira do Sistema Nacional de Informações Tóxico-Farmacológicas DATATOX. Resultados: No biênio 2014-2015 o CIATox de Campinas atendeu 5.095 casos de pacientes <20 anos, dos quais 30 foram classificados como ETAG (PSS=3, n=24; PSS=4, n=6). Quanto à circunstância, 15 foram acidentais, 14 intencionais (11 por tentativas de suicídio e três por abuso de drogas) e um de causa não esclarecida, sendo significativamente mais frequentes nos adolescentes >14 anos (n=17; p<0,01). Os grupos de agentes envolvidos foram: animais peçonhentos (8; escorpiões=5); medicamentos (8; associações=6); produtos químicos de uso domiciliar/industrial (6); rodenticidas inibidores da colinesterase de uso ilegal (chumbinho=4); drogas de abuso (3); e bateria no formato de disco (1). Três pacientes evoluíram com sequelas (estenose esofágica pós-ingestão de corrosivos). O tempo mediano de internação foi de seis dias (mediana, quartis e intervalo interquartil=5-12 dias), sendo 26 pacientes admitidos em unidades de cuidados intensivos, dos quais 22 necessitaram de ventilação mecânica, 12 de inotrópicos/vasopressores e três de terapia de substituição renal. Conclusões: Escorpionismo e intoxicações por medicamentos e por produtos químicos de uso domiciliar/industrial foram as principais causas de ETAG, sendo elas significativamente mais frequentes em adolescentes, principalmente por tentativas de suicídio.