Bites & Stings

Factors that influence signs and symptoms of a bite or sting

• Location of bite,
• Amount of poison injected
• Elapsed time
• Victim's size, weight, and age

Less severe stings may trigger the following signs and symptoms

1. Bite mark @ point of injection
2. Stinger, tentacle or venom sac
3. Redness around entry site
4. Swelling around entry site
5. Pain at or around entry site

Insects:

Oregon Health Sciences University

http://www.ohsu.edu/cliniweb/C21/C21.613.127.html

• Examine site for stinger
• Remove stinger with fingernail, edge of knife blade, or with plastic credit card (Visa, Mastercard not American Express [;-{) )
• Don't use tweezers. Why? Pressure could lead to increased poisoning.
• Wash area with soap and water. Cover to keep clean. Apply ice to area to reduce pain and swelling.
• Be aware of potential allergic reaction.

Ticks:

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF)

How transmitted: Wood tick or dog tick to Humans

Symptoms: Spotted rash (after infection) Wrists and Ankle rash. Fever, chills, servere headache, joint and muscle aches.

20% DIE

Lyme Disease (borreliosis)

AMERICAN LYME DISEASE FOUNDATION

• How transmitted: Tick attached to field mice or deer.
• Location (beaches and in wooded and grassy areas)
• Deer ticks really small
• Risk greatest in May - July
• Symptoms: days or weeks later; Small red area. Spreads up to 6-8 inches. Bullseye effect (lighter center) or Bruised look with darker skin colors.
• Other symptoms: chills, headache, weakness or fatigue, and flulike joint and muscle aches.
• More severe symptoms may appear, weeks, months or years after a tick bite.

Removal of Tick

• Tweezers. Avoid bare hands (wash if necessary)
• Don't BURN OFF, Add VASELINE, or USE PIN
• If you can't remove tick see medical care.
• After removing the tick apply an antiseptic, such as alcohol. If antibiotic ointment available apply to prevent wound infection.
• Don't delay if you suspect that you've been infected with RMSF or Lyme disease.

AMERICAN LYME DISEASE FOUNDATION (see link above)

http://www.w2.com/docs2/d5/lyme.html

Spiders and Scorpions

Look at the pictures 16-5. Black Widow & Brown Recluse. Note characteristics.

Most spider bites not dangerous (if Black Widow or Brown Recluse seek help)

Habitat: Dark places; wood, rock, and bruch piles.

BLACK WIDOW:

• More painful and deadly, especially for the young and elderly
• Sharp pinprick followed by a dull pain in area.
• Symptoms: Muscular rigidity, shoulders, abdomen & back, and
• restlessness, anxiety, sweating, weakness, drooping eyelids.

BROWN RECLUSE

• Pain ??? (Little or no pain, localized pain 1hr later0
• Symptoms: Blood filled blister which eventually bursts leaving a black scar.
• If you recognize one of these spiders seek help ASAP.
• Antivenom may be needed

Scorpions: South Western US and Mexico

• Habitat: cool, damp places, such as basements, junk piles etc., they are active at night.
• Phoenix: Kick your paper before picking it up.
• Distinguishing between highly poisonous and nonpoisonous scorpions.
• You can't so treat all as dangerous.

Signs and Symptoms of Spider Bites and Scorpion Stings include:

• Mark indicating the bite or sting area.
• Severe pain in the sting or bite area
• Blister, lesion, or swelling at the entry site
• Nausea and vomiting
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Sweating and salivating profusely
• Irregular heart rhythms that can lead to cardiac arrest
• Muscle cramping

Care for scorpion sting

Wash the wound and apply the cold pack to the site

ZOONOSIS CONTROL

http://www.r09.tdh.state.tx.us/zoonosis/zoonosis.html

Snake Bites: Over-rated

12:8000 Death mainly due to allergic reaction or other health conditions

• Care within 30 minutes
• Symptoms:
• 1 or 2 distinct puncture wounds
• severe pain immediately or within 4 hours
• swelling and discoloration immediately or within 4 hours.

Care for snake bites

• Wash wound
• Immobilize body part affected
• Keep affected area lower than the heart if possible
• Summon more advanced medical personnel
• Minimize the victim's own movement

IMPORTANT

DO NOT APPLY ICE

DO NOT CUT THE WOUND

DO NOT APPLY TOURNIQUET

DO NOT USE ELECTRIC SHOCK

Marine Stings

Jellyfish Stings

http://www.beach-net.com/Oceanjfishstings.html

• Remove person from the water
• Call for further help if
• Victim has
• History of allergic reactions
• Sting to face and or neck
• Has difficulty breathing

If you know that sting is from Jellyfish, Sea Anemone, Portugese man-of-war

• Soak Injured Part in Vinegar: Rubbing alcohol or baking soda may also be used.

Stingray, Sea Urchin or Spiny Fish

• Flush wound with sterile saline or water. Tap or ocean water can be used.
• Immobilize the area usually the foot, and soak the affected area in nonscalding hot water 30 minutes or until pain subsides. (Hot sand also)
• Carefully clean the wound and apply bandage.

Animal Bites

RABIES: Disease transmitted through the saliva of diseased animals such as skunks, bats, raccoons, cats, dogs, cattle and foxes

Characteristics: Salivation, Appear Paralyzed, Aggressive, Strangely quiet.

Rabies Info http://giant.seas.smu.edu/~justin/inline_h.rabies.html

For all bites see Physician. If you suspect rabies contact authorities and physician.

Treat wound with soap and water.

TETANUS

Bacteria produces a toxin, occurs in wounds created by animal and human bites.

Signs and symptoms of tetanus: Irritability, headache, fever, and painful muscular spasms.

Also "LOCK JAW"

Treatment: Prompt and thorough cleansing by medical professionals followed by immunization shots.

If someone's bitten by a wild animal:

• Get them away from animal
• Don't try to catch animal
• Clean wound and apply dressing
• Seek medical attention

HUMAN BITES (23% of all bites)

• 42 different types of bacteria in human saliva
• CDC No indication that HIV or AIDS transmitted through bites.
• For severe wound control bleeding
• For non-severe wound clean, apply dressing and take victim to medical facility.
• Preventing Bites and Stings see page 336
• Note proper use of repellent page 336
• & Humane society guidelins page 337.

Some links may be outdated.

Scout Group Page: *****

http://www.commpages.com/emergncy/#Insect/Snake Bites

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF DISEASES & DISORDERS (Check it out)

KPE 210 Home Page (Williams)

 Page author: Emyr Williams

URL: http://www.csulb.edu/~emyrw/kpe210/bitesnstings.html

Last updated: 3/26/98