Characteristics of bites and stings victims in one state

Abstract

Study objectives: More than 90,000 victims of bites and stings call (BSC) the poison centers in America each year. Although different venomous animals live in different regions, the difference in BSC between this southwestern state and the rest of the nation has not been reported. Methods: This was a retrospective study using Toxic Exposure Surveillance System data. All poison center calls in the study state were compared with all calls in the other states for a 3-year period. Results: In the study state, there were 24,771 BSC (5.2% of all human exposure calls) compared with the other states that had 235,204 BSC (3.7%). The odds ratio was 1.43 (95% confidence interval 1.41 to 1.45). The total number of calls in study state increased by 10.8%, but the BSC increased by 20.9%. In the other states, the total calls increased 5.0%, and the BSC increased 7.8%. BSC accounted for 10.8% of all adult victims in the study state (second most common “substance“) and 7.6% of all adults in other states (fifth most common). For victims younger than 20 years, only 2.7% of the study state and 1.8% of other states were for BSC. Antivenoms were used for 505 victims in the study state (2.0%) and 2,885 victims in other states (1.2%). The use of antivenoms increased 85.1% in the study state and 26.1% in other states. Fab antivenom use increased more than sevenfold during the study period. There were no deaths in the study state, and there were 11 deaths in the other states because of bites and stings. Conclusion: In this state, the BSC were dissimilar in frequency, rate of increase, treatment, and mortality compared with that of other states. Emergency physicians in each geographic region must know how to manage the particular characteristics of the victims of local venomous animals. Study objectives: More than 90,000 victims of bites and stings call (BSC) the poison centers in America each year. Although different venomous animals live in different regions, the difference in BSC between this southwestern state and the rest of the nation has not been reported. Methods: This was a retrospective study using Toxic Exposure Surveillance System data. All poison center calls in the study state were compared with all calls in the other states for a 3-year period. Results: In the study state, there were 24,771 BSC (5.2% of all human exposure calls) compared with the other states that had 235,204 BSC (3.7%). The odds ratio was 1.43 (95% confidence interval 1.41 to 1.45). The total number of calls in study state increased by 10.8%, but the BSC increased by 20.9%. In the other states, the total calls increased 5.0%, and the BSC increased 7.8%. BSC accounted for 10.8% of all adult victims in the study state (second most common “substance“) and 7.6% of all adults in other states (fifth most common). For victims younger than 20 years, only 2.7% of the study state and 1.8% of other states were for BSC. Antivenoms were used for 505 victims in the study state (2.0%) and 2,885 victims in other states (1.2%). The use of antivenoms increased 85.1% in the study state and 26.1% in other states. Fab antivenom use increased more than sevenfold during the study period. There were no deaths in the study state, and there were 11 deaths in the other states because of bites and stings. Conclusion: In this state, the BSC were dissimilar in frequency, rate of increase, treatment, and mortality compared with that of other states. Emergency physicians in each geographic region must know how to manage the particular characteristics of the victims of local venomous animals.