HOSPITALIZATION DUE TO CONTACT WITH SCORPIONS IN NORTHEAST BRAZIL (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Introduction Scorpions have existed for more than 450 million years and although these animals inhabit humid forests and also deserts, they can live in cities and are increasingly close to men. Brazil is strongly inserted in the midst of these outbreaks of scorpionism and the Northeast represents a large percentage of these cases in the country. Objective: To describe the epidemiological profile of hospitalizations and notifications due to contact with scorpions in Northeast Brazil, as well as to understand the measures implemented to combat this situation. Methodology: This is a descriptive observational study, whose data were collected by the DataSUS platform. The collection started from the Hospital Information System (SIH), through hospital morbidity data through notifications and hospitalizations between January 2008 and December 2022, using the category of diseases: Contact with scorpion CID 10 - X22. Results and discussion: More than half a million people have been stung by scorpions in the Northeast of the country alone since 2007, and about 70% of reported cases occurred in just three of the nine states. Several studies in Brazil and in other countries have reported seasonality in the occurrence of scorpion stings. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of bites between men and women. Conclusion: Knowledge about the treatment of venomous animal bites has evolved a lot in recent decades. However, every year people die in Brazil or are hospitalized due to this condition. Thus, prevention and combat measures must be implemented in a targeted manner, especially in high-risk regions, in order to mitigate cases of hospitalizations and deaths in the region.