The use of chloroquine with or without adjuncts in the effective management of scorpion sting in the tropics: case reports

Scorpion Sting is a common occurrence in the tropics caused by scorpion envenomation on unsuspecting victims. The sting causes severe pain and may be much more fatal depending on the age and size of the patient and the scorpion specie as well as other factors. Effective treatment is needed specially to alleviate pain. Many parts of the tropics have little or no data describing the use of Chloroquine in managing scorpion sting. These cases show how chloroquine can be used in without other drugs to achieve pain control. CASE PRESENTATION: Patients presented with pain emanating from the right big toe and medial arch, respectively. The said pain had same manifestation and intensity in both patients and followed same course but radiated higher in up to the ipsilateral flank in the first patient but was limited to the ipsilateral iliac region of the second patient. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: The sites showed signs of inflammation with pain being most prominent. Diagnosis of scorpion envenomation were made based on the given history. The pain was eliminated using chloroquine given intramuscularly at the site of scorpion sting. CONCLUSION: Scorpion sting can occur at any time in the tropic and lidocaine only cannot alleviate pain. Chloroquine can be used in managing scorpion sting as it also has many other benefits that can make it more preferred to the other conventional approaches used.