Gülçim KOCAIRI, Ömer Faruk KARAKOYUN, Ethem ACAR
Meandros Medical and Dental Journal - 2026;27(1):86-93
Aim: Scorpion stings are a significant public health issue in regions with mild to hot climates, including Turkiye, where diverse scorpion species are prevalent. This study evaluates the efficacy of traditional hot application, a common regional practice, as a first aid measure for scorpion stings in comparison to modern evidence-based treatments. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study analyzed adult patients admitted to the emergency department of Muğla Training and Research Hospital for scorpion stings between January 2021 and December 2022. Pre-hospital treatments were categorized as cold application, hot application, or no intervention. Clinical data, including analgesic use and demographic characteristics, were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Results: A total of 229 patients (mean age: 49.5 +/- 17.2 years) were included, with 224 classified as stage 1 and 5 as stage 2 envenomation. Pre-hospital first aid measures included cold application (43.6%), hot application (20.1%), and no intervention (36.2%). Patients using hot application required significantly fewer NSAIDs (p=0.028) and opioids (p<0.001) in the emergency department. Older patients were more likely to adopt hot application as a first aid measure (p=0.002). Conclusion: The findings suggest that hot application may effectively reduce pain and analgesic requirements in scorpion sting cases, potentially denaturing venom proteins. However, limitations such as retrospective design, incomplete data, and lack of standardized pain assessment must be addressed in future studies. Prospective research is recommended to validate the clinical implications of integrating traditional and modern management approaches for scorpion stings.
