What should be applied to a marine animal sting

Sprinkle flour or baking soda over the wound and then scrape it carefully with a sterilised knife. Soak the area again with vinegar. Apply an ointment combining antihistamines, analgesics, and corticosteroids. Follow us on. Accept Decline Cookie Settings. I consent to the use of following cookies:.

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These specialized cells basically have a harpoon that shoots into your skin epidermis and dermis , which gives the cell access to release its toxins. So with coral there are two aspects to consider when thinking about treatment: Stings and Scrapes. Fact: Venom usually proteins is the inflicting agent causing pain due to binding to our receptors and causing an immunological response.

Jellyfish do not have puncture wounds. After a jellyfish sting, linear red, urticarial lesions typically develop a few minutes later, although sometimes these lesions do not appear for several hours. We wont get into it to much here.

But within the jellyfish family, you should know there are a species called box jellyfish which have venom that is much more potent than most. Due to the higher than normal chance of getting systemic symptoms with stings from these species you should go to the Emergency Room for evaluation. Trivia : Irukandji syndrome is a condition induced by venomization by the sting of Carukia barnesi, a species of Irukandji jellyfish, and certain other box jellyfish.

Unless immediate medical action is taken, victims can go into cardiac arrest and die. The syndrome was given its name in by Hugo Flecker, after the Aboriginal Irukandji people who live in Palm Cove, north of Cairns, Queensland, Australia, where stings are common.

Jellyfish have the same mechanism as described above but they have tons of nematocysts on each tentacle. This is where it gets interesting. If you look up the literature you will find all kinds of interesting treatment including: Hot Water Immersion, Vinegar, Alcohol, Urine, Meat Tenderizer, baking soda paste, and cold packs. The majority of the studies found discuss Hot Water Immersion, vinegar, and cold packs. You can almost find a study out there that will say one is better than the other for each choice.

Interesting that either cold or hot can work? As you will see below even depending on what type of jellyfish one of these choices may be better since vinegar could otherwise make it worse make nematocyst deploy their harpoons.

There are over unique species of sea urchin of which, only 80 have venom delivery mechanisms. Thus the majority of sea urchins are not poisonous but cause pain from the penetration of their spines made of calcium carbonate.

Catfish — These bottom dwelling scavengers are found in fresh water rivers worldwide. The marine catfish resides in many regions as well. Stonefish —Are primarily found in the coastal waters of the Indo Pacific region including Australia, Indonesia, and India.

Scorpion and lionfish —Reside widely in tropical and temperate oceans. They are frequently kept as pets in home aquariums. Other symptoms can affect the entire body, and may include: Cramps Diarrhea Difficulty breathing Groin pain , armpit pain Fever Nausea or vomiting Paralysis Sweating Unconsciousness or sudden death from heart rhythm irregularities Weakness , faintness , dizziness. First Aid Follow these steps to provide first aid: Wear gloves, if possible, when removing stingers. Brush off tentacles and stingers with a credit card or similar object if possible.

If you do not have a card, you can gently wipe off stingers or tentacles with a towel. Do not rub the area roughly. Always test water temperature before applying it to a child.

Box jellyfish stings should be immediately rinsed with vinegar. Fish stings and stings by Portuguese man-of-war should be immediately rinsed with hot water. DO NOT raise the affected body part above the level of the heart. DO NOT allow the person to exercise. DO NOT give any medicine, unless told to do so by a health care provider. They do not leave typical serpiginous wounds on contact. This species is typically limited to Australia and the Indo-Pacific, although cases have been reported off the coast of Florida.

Physaliidae: Members of the Physaliidae family are of the Hydrozoa class and, like the Cubozoans, are not true jellyfish. These organisms exist as floating colonies meaning the bells and tentacles are actually different organisms. They are recognized by a blue sail that floats on the surface of the water. Physalia physalis is known as the Portuguese man-of-war and are found on Atlantic coastlines, especially in Florida.

These envenomations are common among beachgoers on the Atlantic Florida beaches. Their tentacles can reach lengths of 30 meters and contain over , nematocysts on each tentacle up to 40 tentacles. Physalia utriculus is known as the blue bottle and are found in Indo-Pacific waters. They contain only one tentacle that can reach 15 meters in length. The most common reactions from these toxins include intense pain with burning and redness at the site. There have been reports of wounds severe enough requiring skin grafts.

Systemic signs include anaphylaxis, headache, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Death is extremely rare. Scyphozoa are the class of true jellyfish.

Jellyfish species are diverse in shape, color and size. Common jellyfish that are known to envenomate are the hair jelly, sea nettle and mauve stinger. The mauve stinger is well known as it is pink during the day and phosphorescent at night. Envenomation: Envenomation from Cnidaria occur from persons coming into contact with tentacles. The tentacles are lined with nematocysts cnidae. Envenomation is typically inadvertent from swimmers coming into contact with them.

Mechanical stimulation of the tentacles causes cnidae to discharge venom. The venom is consisted of various neurotoxins, myocardial toxins, vasodilatory toxins histamine and serotonin , proteolytic and lipolytic enzymes and membranotoxic pore-forming complexes. Subsequent discharge of cnidae is caused by pouring freshwater on or trying to take off the tentacles. Most of these injuries are non-life threatening. Stinging and burning occur immediately.

Skin changes range from urticaria to bullae and skin necrosis. Whip-like lesions may not appear for several minutes to hours. Management: Address ABCs It is critical in reducing venom load and reducing venom exposure by removing tentacles It is important to know which species inhabit the region the victim is in. Box jellyfish only inhabit Australian waters so for an envenomation in the US, antivenom does not need to be considered.

Stings regionally in the US are likely to be from less lethal species such as Portuguese man-of-war Antivenom for box jellyfish should be administered immediately if possible IV magnesium can be given if no response to antivenom Irukandji Syndrome can be fatal.

Use benzodiazepines for hypertension, agitation and tachycardia. Consider nitroglycerine or phentolamine drips for refractory symptoms. Scraping can lead to increased nematocyst discharge Methods that increase nematocyst discharge and should be avoided are rinsing with freshwater, urine, ethanol and ammonia Saltwater rinses are not recommended as it can discharge nematocysts by mechanical force Topical lidocaine is not recommended as it can increase nematocyst discharge Hot water has been shown to significantly reduce pain Disposition: If systemic or severe symptoms, patient will need admission Discharge if no systemic symptoms Fire Coral The fire coral Millepora alcicornis is different than other members of the Cnidaria class as it is sessile and exists as a fixed colony of hydroids.

It appears like normal coral and has a white to yellow or green exoskeleton. Small tentacles dactylozooids protrude through small gastropores in the exoskeleton. The venom contains in the nematocysts have hemolytic, dermonecrotic and cytotoxic toxins. Fire corals are widespread and exist in throughout the world with most victims being snorkelers and scuba divers. Lacerations are associated with fire coral injuries due to their rigid structure.

Envenomation occurs immediately and results in intense pain, pruritis and urticaria. Blistering occurs up to 6 hours after exposure. Pain and sensitivity can last for months after exposure. Systemic symptoms are extremely rare.

Management: Fire coral are found throughout the world. Consider these injuries in swimmers and divers. Oral analgesics, topical lidocaine and steroids may help symptoms Hot and cold water equally efficacious for pain with irrigation Lacerations should be copiously irrigated and loose closure Antibiotics covering skin and aquatic flora Tetanus prophylaxis Disposition: Symptoms are usually localized to the skin.

Patient can be discharged if no systemic symptoms. Sea anemones Sea anemones are in the class Anthozoa and are considered venomous carnivores. Anemones have tentacles that are coated in toxins that inactive voltage gated sodium channels causing paralysis to victims. Anemones have modified nematocysts called sporocysts. These envenomations are typical in persons swimming around coral reef without protective suits. Management: Due to the neurotoxic nature of the venom, manage ABCs extremely closely Deactivate sporocysts with vinegar Hot water immersion of injured extremity for up to 90 minutes Oral or IV analgesia General wound care and consider antibiotics that cover aquatic species and skin flora if wound appears infected There is no antivenom available Disposition: Symptoms are usually mild and localized to skin lesions.

The cephalopod of greatest toxicologic concern is the blue-ringed octopus. Blue-ringed octopuses are typically found in Australia. Most bites from these animals come from being handled out of water. When agitated, their bodies darken, and their blue circles become iridescent blue. Envenomation: The beak of the octopus creates small puncture wounds in which the venom is introduced. Bites may be painless and symptom onset is within 10 minutes. Tetrodotoxin blocks fast sodium channel conduction ranging from a tingling sensation around the mouth to flaccid muscle paralysis.