Rationale: Taking scorpions (whether through traditional Chinese medicine decoctions containing scorpion or through cooking) carries a potential risk of nephrotoxicity, which deserves people’s attention. Patient concerns: This article reports a case of a 48-year-old patient who presented with diarrhea and abdominal pain for 3 days and biochemical tests revealed a significant increase in serum creatinine. Based on the clinical inquiry, biochemical examination and imaging report, it is highly suspected that AKI was caused by the medicinal scorpion. Diagnoses: Acute kidney injury. Interventions: The treatment involved hydration therapy, along with metabolic promotion and gastric mucosa protection. Outcomes: Following the treatment, there was a notable reduction in periumbilical distention and pain, with laboratory indicators such as creatinine, urea and uric acid levels returning to normal within 12 days. Follow-ups at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after the patient’s discharge revealed no signs of recurrence of abdominal pain or diarrhea. Lessons: This provided a detailed basis and reference examples for the diagnosis of drug-induced AKI, assisting clinicians in making more accurate and efficient judgments regarding the causes when confronted with similar cases.
Ma et al. (Fri,) studied this question.