Wilderness: Scorpion Sting (cont.)

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Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Scorpion Sting Overview
Scorpion Sting Symptoms
What causes the symptoms associated with a scorpion sting?
Scorpion Sting Treatment
When to Seek Medical Care for a Scorpion Sting
Scorpion Sting Prevention
Scorpion Sting Pictures
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Viewer Comments: Scorpion Sting - Treatment
Viewer Comments: Scorpion Sting - Symptoms

What causes the symptoms associated with a scorpion sting?

The cause of the scorpion's sting symptoms is a barb or stinger that contains a protein toxin (also termed venom). The toxin is responsible for the symptoms listed above. The toxin is not pure; it contains a mixture of proteins (neurotoxin, protein inhibitors, and other substances). The types differ from species to species and likely have evolved to target the specific prey and predators of the particular scorpion species. Depending on the literature source, only about 25 to 40 of the approximate 2000 species of scorpions have toxins or venoms that are dangerous to humans. Chlorotoxin and Maurotoxin are two scorpion toxins that have been isolated and are currently being studied as potential treatments for diseases such as cancer.

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