Toxic Hepatitis and Coagulopathy due to Scorpion Sting

Ataman Köse, Serdar Biricik, Seyran Bozkurt, Cağatay Cavuşoğlu and Cüneyt Ayrık

Department of Emergency Medicine, Mersin University,Turkey

^*Correspondance to: Ataman Kose 

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Abstract:

Scorpion sting can cause simple symptoms of local reddening and pain to severe complications. However, cases of toxic hepatitis and coagulopathy have been rarely reported so far. In this paper we report a 30-year-old scorpion sting victim presenting with toxic hepatitis and coagulopathy. A 30-year-old woman presented to our emergency department with pain and numbness from finger to elbow after a scorpion sting. At 8th hour, her laboratory tests revealed increased liver enzymes, alterations in hematological parameters (thrombocytopenia, leukocytosis), and impaired coagulation tests (PT-INR prolongation and increased D-dimer). The patient was admitted to hospital by gastroenterology and hematology departments with a working diagnosis of toxic hepatitis and coagulopathy due to scorpion sting. Laboratory tests may have to be checked 6-8 hours after the initial tests in patients with scorpion sting who develop systemic signs. Physicians should particularly monitor hematological and coagulation parameters, liver function tests and cardiac enzymes and be able to apply the appropriate therapy as needed.

Keywords:

Scorpion; Sting; Toxicity; Liver; Coagulation

Cite the Article:

Köse A, Biricik S, Bozkurt S, Cavuşoğlu C, Ayrık C. Toxic Hepatitis and Coagulopathy due to Scorpion Sting. Ann Clin Case Rep. 2016; 1: 1212.