Biomedical Research, Volume 20, Issue 3 155 Biomedical Research 2009; 20 (3): 155-157 Characteristics, Severity and Management of Insect-stung Patients Shirina Alsowaidi, Abdulrahman Mohamed 1 , Roos Bernsen 3 , Abdishakur M Abdulle, Abdulbari Bener 2 Department of Internal Medicine, 3 Department Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UAE University; UAE, 1 Department of Medicine, Jimi Hospital, UAE, 2 Department of Medical Statistics & Epidemiology, Hamad Medical Corporation, and Weill Cornell Medical College, Qatar Abstract We aim to assess the demographic, clinical manifestation and management of insect-stung patients. About 783 (46% male; 95% expatriate workers) records of Al-Ain hospital patients were analyzed. According to Muller classifcation, class I severity was common in the youngest age group. Majority (56.9%) of the subjects had class III severity. Multi-variate analysis confrmed that signifcantly less severe cases were present in the youngest age group (0-10 years) only (P less than 0.0005) and in male patients (P less than 0.0005). Anti-histamine and corticosteroids, but not epinephrine, were commonly administered. Where data was available (32.6%), the site of the sting was mostly on legs (16.6%). Insect stings were incompletely reported, often with severe symptoms (class III), and under-treated. The severity of allergic reactions was associated with older age and female gender. Emphasis on training of healthcare providers could potentially improve the current level of diagnosis and management. Key words: Antihistamine, allergic, characteristics, insect stings Accepted May 20 2009 Introduction Allergic reactions resulting from insect stings, predominantly hymenoptera, are one of the most common causes of anaphylaxis worldwide [1,2]. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), limited information is available with regard to patient characteristics, risk factors, and current management guiltiness. In general, the causes of allergic reactions include insect stings, food allergens, and other environmental risk factors. Moreover, the severity of allergic reactions is often related to older age, gender and ethnicity. Although allergic reactions may vary in magnitude, the consequences of under-diagnosed and under-treated allergic reactions may lead to life-threatening anaphylaxis [3]. Thus, appropriate prevention strategies, diagnosis, and often aggressive treatment approaches are necessary. Currently, the treatment of choice in the emergency unit includes parenteral epinephrine, cardiovascular stabilization, systemic anti- histamines and corticosteroids as well as inhaled agonist. In the UAE, among other factors, intensive plantation projects, over the past two decades or so, have helped increase the number of insects in wild areas as well as recreational areas. This has led to an increase in incidence of morbidity from insect stings and subsequent allergic reactions. In this study, we aim to investigate the demographic characteristics, clinical manifestation, and management of allergy reactions due to common insect stings among emergency department patients in Al-Ain hospital, UAE. Aim To assess the demographic characteristics, clinical manifestation and management of allergy reactions due to common insect sting among emergency department patients in Al-Ain hospital, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Materials and Methods In this retrospective observational study, we analyzed a total of 783 records of insect stung patients who visited