The foundations of effective emergency response for any bite or sting is the emergency response plan. This simple document is vital in the heat of the moment and applies to all medical emergencies, not just scorpion stings. It contains 4 sections.
Display your emergency response plan and notes in a prominent place. A good idea is to take a picture of the plan using your mobile phone. This ensures you have all of these details with you all of the time. Download the following Emergency Response Plan Template (with instructions) below.
Many countries have a national poison information helpline. This helpline can assist in any case of bite or sting. These helplines provides a 24/7 assistance for telephonic toxicology consultation services. This service is free. Within the context of envenomation, it should be your first point of contact in your country in the following instances:
Note that this helpline can also assist for medical situations internationally. Data collected from this free service is used to shape and refine our understanding of bites and stings, of medical treatment, and the use of antivenom.
National poison information helplines in Southern Africa include:
As a patient or responder, if the medial treatment is not living up to expectations, then phone a poison information helpline and they can advice the medical staff at that facility. They can advise medical professionals on treatment as well as the use of antivenom and sourcing antivenom.
If you don’t have a helpline in your country, then the nearest hospital will be the next best contact. In areas where scorpion stings are common, your local hospital or clinic will be familiar with the treatment of a scorpion sting. The vast majority of scorpion stings do not require antivenom.
Further details about this content can be found in the Scorpion Sting First Response Book Book references:
