Methamphetamine Ingestion Misdiagnosed as Centruroides sculpturatus Envenomation. (14th January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Strommen, Joshua; Shirazi, Farshad
• Other Names: Kula Serdar Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Case reports in emergency medicine. Volume 2015(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-01-14
• Subjects: Emergency medicine -- Periodicals; Emergency Medicine; Emergency medicine; Periodicals; Periodicals; Case Reports; Fulltext; Internet Resources; Periodicals; 616.025
• DOI: 10.1155/2015/320574
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2090-648X

Abstract

Abstract : The authors present a case report of a 17-month-old female child who ingested a large amount of methamphetamine that looked very similar clinically to a scorpion envenomation specific to the southwestern United States by the species Centruroides sculpturatus . The child was initially treated with 3 vials of antivenom specific for that scorpion species and showed a transient, though clinically relevant neurologic improvement. Her clinical course of sympathomimetic toxicity resumed and she was treated with intravenous fluids and benzodiazepines after blood analysis showed significant levels of d-methamphetamine. This case report is to specifically underline the clinical confusion in discerning between these two conditions and the realization of limited and/or expensive resources that may be used in the process.