J Emerg Med 2019 Oct 3;57(4):523-526. Epub 2019 Sep 3.
Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, Denver, Colorado; Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado at Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.
Background: Black widow spider (Latrodectus spp) envenomation represents the most medically significant spider envenomation in the United States, prompting more than 2500 calls to poison centers annually. The female spider, which is responsible for symptomatic envenomations, is classically described as a shiny black spider with a red hourglass-shaped marking on the ventral abdomen. Clinical features of envenomation include painful muscle cramping, abdominal pain, and autonomic disturbances, such as tachycardia, hypertension, and diaphoresis. Read More