Assessment of local pain and analgesia in envenoming by wandering spiders (Phoneutria spp.).

Phoneutrism (bites by wandering spiders of the genus Phoneutria) frequently results in local pain. We describe a retrospective cohort study of a case series of phoneutrism admitted to our Emergency Department (ED), in which we used the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS 0-10) to assess the intensity of local pain upon admission, and recorded the analgesic measures used to control this pain. Other criteria for inclusion were: (1) An age ≥8 years, (2) Treatment exclusively at our ED, and (3) Visualization or photographing the spider at the time of the bite and/or bringing the spider for identification.

Temporal evolution of dermonecrosis in loxoscelism assessed by photodocumentation.

Background: Although loxoscelism (bites by brown spiders of the genus Loxosceles) frequently results in dermonecrosis, no previous clinical reports have provided detailed temporal photodocumentation of the evolution of dermonecrotic lesions in a case series.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study involving a case series of loxoscelism. Only cases of dermonecrosis with photodocumentation of lesion evolution (from admission until complete or almost complete healing) were included.

Near-fatal poisoning after ricin injection.

Objective: To report a near-fatal poisoning after intentional injection of ricin from a castor bean () extract.

Case Report: A 21 year-old man self-injected ∼3 mL of a castor bean extract intramuscularly and subcutaneously in the left antecubital fossa. Upon admission to our ED (1 h post-exposure; day 1, D1) he was awake and alert, but complained of mild local pain and showed slight local edema and erythema.

Consecutive envenomation of two men bitten by the same coral snake ().

To report two patients who developed systemic neurotoxicity after consecutive bites by the same coral snake. Two previously healthy men (32-year-old and 34-year-old) found a coral snake in a woodpile while collecting wood for a barbecue. During the barbecue, both men became drunk and "played" with the snake, believing that they were handling a false coral snake, and were bitten within a few minutes of each other.

Management of severe pain after dermal contact with caterpillars (erucism): a prospective case series.

Context: Erucism, envenomation caused by dermal contact with larval forms of moths, may result in intense local pain, mainly after contact with puss caterpillars (family Megalopygidae).

Objective: To evaluate the response to different treatments for controlling severe pain in a case series of erucism in Campinas, southeastern Brazil.

Patients And Methods: Prospective cohort study.

Thrombotic microangiopathy following Bothrops jararaca snakebite: case report.

Context: Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is an uncommon and severe complication of snakebites, and is similar, in general, to hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). We describe a case of TMA following envenomation by Bothrops jararaca.

Case Details: A 56-y-old-woman with controlled hypertension was transferred from a primary hospital to our ER ∼7 h after being bitten by B.