scorpion sting /skôr″pē·on/ [Gk, skorpios + AS, stingan] , a painful wound produced by a scorpion, an arachnid with a hollow stinger in its tail. The stings of many species are only slightly toxic, but some, including Centruroides sculpturatus (bark scorpion) of the southwestern United States, may inflict fatal injury, especially in small children. Initial pain is followed within several hours by numbness, nausea, muscle spasm, dyspnea, and convulsion. Anascorp, an antivenin, was approved for use in the United States in 2011. The antivenin has been available in Mexico for many years.
