Management of scorpion sting: prazosin or dobutamine.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of Dobutamine and Prazosin in the management of cases with scorpion sting.

SETTING: Pediatric intensive care unit of an affiliated hospital of a medical university.

SUBJECTS: Forty-two children with scorpion sting.

INTERVENTION: The involved victims were divided alternatively into two groups. Twenty-one patients were treated with intravenous Dobutamine infusion and other 21 received oral Prazosin.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Percent-rise in left-ventricular ejection fraction in first 24 h after institution of the therapy, time taken in recovery from pulmonary edema, requirement of any additional drug and supportive measures, and mortality.

RESULTS: The time taken in recovery from pulmonary edema was significantly shorter in cases treated with prazosin (28 +/- 18.3 vs. 72 +/- 0 h), the p-value being <0.05. Faster improvement of various parameters was observed in prazosin group in comparison to the dobutamine group. Mortality in both the groups was equal.

CONCLUSION: Prazosin and dobutamine, both are useful drugs for management of cardiovascular features of scorpion envenomation, nevertheless, prazosin is slightly better than dobutamine in terms of faster recovery, and also because of its ease of administration and low cost of therapy.