A clinical score predicting the need for hospitalization in scorpion envenomation

• Published in: The American journal of emergency medicine Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 414 - 419
• Main Authors: Nouira, Semir, MD, Boukef, Riadh, MD, Nciri, Noureddine, MD, Haguiga, Habib, MD, Elatrous, Souheil, MD, Besbes, Lamia, MD, Letaief, Mondher, MD, Abroug, Fekri, MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Elsevier Inc 01-05-2007; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blood pressure; Clinical death. Palliative care. Organ gift and preservation; Decision Support Techniques; Emergency; Emergency medical care; Female; Health care policy; Health facilities; Hospitalization; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Hospitals; Humans; Intensive care; Intensive care medicine; Male; Medical sciences; Multivariate Analysis; Oxygen therapy; Pneumology; Prospective Studies; Risk Assessment - methods; Rural areas; Rural health care; Scorpion Stings - therapy; Scorpion Venoms - poisoning; Scorpions; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum; Tunisia; Intensive care; Hospitalization; Envenomation; Resuscitation
• ISSN: 0735-6757; 1532-8171
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2006.08.021

Abstract Objective Predicting complications is a clinical challenge in the assessment of victims of scorpion envenomation (SE). We sought to develop a clinical score to predict need for hospitalization after scorpion sting. Methods We prospectively collected data in patients attending the emergency department after SE in derivation (n = 868) and validation groups (n = 435). A score was derived from a multiple regression analyses using clinical variables as dependent variables and hospitalization as independent variable. Results Discrimination power of the constructed score was good (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.85 and 0.83 in derivation and validation group, respectively). Goodness-of-fit tests indicated that the score performed well in the derivation and the validation groups ( P = .88 and P = .67 respectively). The score has a good sensitivity and negative predictive value at cutoff value of 2. Conclusion Our clinical score could be used for efficient hospital admission decision in patient's victims of SE.