Integrating Traditional Knowledge in Emergency Medicine: The Role of Heat Application in Scorpion Stings

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effects of pre-hospital hot and cold applications on analgesic requirements and symptom severity in scorpion envenomation, with the broader goal of integrating traditional practices into modern emergency care.Methods: This retrospective descriptive study included 229 adult patients who presented to Muğla Training and Research Hospital with scorpion stings between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022. Patients were categorized into three groups based on pre-hospital interventions: hot application (n=46), cold application (n=100), and no intervention (n=83). Clinical stage, pain intensity (VAS), analgesic use, and demographic characteristics were compared.Results: Most patients (97.8%) were classified as stage 1 envenomation. The need for NSAIDs (19.3%) and opioids (1.5%) was significantly lower in the hot application group (p