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Scorpion Envenomations in Southern Arizona: A Costing Study of Scorpion Stings

Class of 2007 Abstract / Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine the direct costs of scorpion envenomation events in the acute care setting for patients treated in a southern Arizona hospital.
Methods: A chart review analysis of documented treatment of scorpion envenomations at a university hospital was conducted to compile demographic, drug use, and resource utilization information. Patients were selected based on an ICD-9 code diagnosis of scorpion envenomation within the years 1993 to 2001.
Results: 103 patient charts were reviewed. The average length of stay was 1.21 days (range 0.5-6.5 days), the average age was 4.7 years (range 0.2-53 years old). Males comprised 54% of the patients, 51.9% Caucasian, 41.6% Hispanic, and 60.2% were from an urban setting. The average drug cost was $51.82 (SD=53.22). The total average cost in the entire population was $6,764.54, (SD= $3,866.55). The average cost of rural versus urban was $7,535.74 and $6,254.55, respectively (p=0.100). The average cost for male versus female was $6,949.64 and $6,520.90 (p= 0.581), and the average cost for the 0-3 years group was $6,721.10, the >3 years to 14 years group’s average cost was $6,643.33, and the >14 years of age group’s average cost was $8,578.42. None of the comparisons between age groups were statistically significant, with p values ranging from 0.274 to 0.922.
Conclusions: Although scorpion envenomations were costly, there were no statistically significant differences noted between any of the comparison groups. Transportation, including air transport in the rural setting, did not account for a significant change in cost. Many of the patients that were envenomated in the rural setting were seen at a regional hospital and then transported as necessary.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/624399
Date January 2007
CreatorsHodges, Zachary, Lambert, Zachary, Nguyen, Michael
ContributorsArmstrong, Edward, McNally, Jude, Boyer, Leslie, College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona
PublisherThe University of Arizona.
Source SetsUniversity of Arizona
Languageen_US
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext, Electronic Report
RightsCopyright © is held by the author.

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