Question:

Drug of choice for a scorpion sting bite is?

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Counter the catecholamine storm with an alpha-1 blocker.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
  • EDTA
  • Neostigmine
  • N-acetylcysteine
  • Prazosin
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Scorpion venom triggers a massive autonomic storm with a surge of catecholamines, causing hypertension, pulmonary oedema and myocardial dysfunction.
Step 2: Prazosin, a selective alpha-1 adrenergic blocker, counteracts this catecholamine excess by reducing afterload and preload, relieving pulmonary oedema and improving cardiac function. It is the drug of choice for scorpion envenomation.
Step 3: Overall management is graded by severity and may add scorpion antivenom (immunotherapy), midazolam and aspirin, but the cornerstone pharmacological agent is prazosin.
Step 4: EDTA (a chelator), neostigmine (an anticholinesterase) and N-acetylcysteine (paracetamol antidote / mucolytic) have no role here, so the answer is prazosin.
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