Brown small scorpions

Answer 1

There actually is a scorpion named, "the small brown scorpion", Pseudouroctonus apacheanus. I assume that you have the name right, and that you're asking about first aid, so here goes: Like most arachnidae, scorpions are venomous -- it's how they hunt and defend. The Small Brown Scorpion, indigenous to Arizona, uses a neurotoxin that is very rarely fatal but extremely painful. Patients mention the qualify of pain as "electric" (which so often underlines neuroloigcal invovlement). Vaccines have been developed, but they don't work well, and there is no definitive vaccine for this attack at this time. General first aid guidelines are: * Catch and keep the animal or at least the tail, if possible. * Elevate the limb and apply cold compresses or icepack -- ten minutes on and ten minutes off. * Treat for pain. * Keep the patient calm and redumbant, with the injection site above the level of the heart and head, of possible. * Make a paste of cool water and baking soda and apply to wound. * If the victim is a child under 4 or so, transport to the nearest ER or call 911. * If the victim shows signs of allergic or anaphylactic reactions, call 911 or transport to ER. These would be difficult breath, development of hives or rashes, etc. Most arachnidae are toxin hunters, and scorpoins are no different. This particular scorpion uses neurotoxins (that target the nervous system) as opposed to hemotoxins which target the blood. So twitching and nystagmus are common symptoms, and not deadly. The toxin load is comprised of approximately ten protein based neurotoxins and a handful of non-proteinic toxins that effect the sodium and potassium channels. So they induce pain -- a lot of it. Also, the skin receptors become hypersensitive to touch, heat, cold -- the lot. Therefore, treatment goals are: * Reduce pain and treat for shock * minimize toxin flow as mucha s possible (Note -- NO tourniquets!). One idea that hasn't been tried is this: Working with marine protein toxins, good first aid results have been achieved by applying a very hot compress (hot as you can stand -- NOT hot enough to induce burns), with the idea being to denature the proteins (e.g. cook them, just as an egg white reacts when exposed to heat). Apply the hot compress for 2-3 minutes, off and on, based on pain. Again, don't burn the patient. If you try this method, untested with scorpions, you do so at your own risk. Note that the advice of a well-meaning guy on the internet should never be construed as medical advice from a trained and licensed professional.