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This article was co-written by Anthony Stark, EMR. Anthony Stark is a certified paramedic in British Cpumbia. He currently works for the British Cpumbia Ambulance Service.
There are 8 references cited in this article that you can see at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 6,734 times.
Stingrays and sea urchins and other sea creatures are not aggressive in nature. However, they can cause painful and potentially dangerous wounds when disturbed or harmed. Learn how to identify stingrays and sea urchins, suggest first aid steps, and provide information for victims to treat at home for minor hand and foot injuries. However, it is best to still get professional care when stung by sea urchins and stingrays even after being cared for at home. Injuries to the abdomen, chest, neck, or face can be considered particularly serious, even life-threatening, and require immediate medical attention.
Steps
Identify and treat stingray injuries
- The wound is a stab wound. Stingray stings are quite large and can be jagged. Stingrays do not usually leave spines after stinging, but in rare cases, stingrays can break inside the wound.
- The victim immediately feels severe pain at the sting site.
- The injured area is swollen.
- The stab wound was bleeding.
- The skin around the wound is green at first, then turns red.
- Unusual sweating.
- The victim is lethargic, weak, or dizzy.
- Headache.
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
- Breathe fast.
- Convulsions, cramps, or paralysis.
- The wound is located on the abdomen, chest, neck, or face.
- Massive bleeding.
- Victims experience difficulty breathing, itching, nausea, throat tightness, rapid pulse, dizziness, or loss of consciousness.
- Getting out of the water quickly and safely is essential to avoid further injury.
- If the victim vomits, have them lie on their side to prevent choking. [6] X Research Sources
- If a clean towel or cloth is not available, you can use a shirt or a piece of clothing.
- Apply just enough pressure to stop bleeding or slow it down. If the victim is conscious, ask if they can handle the pressure or if it causes more pain.
- If you don’t have tweezers available, you can use small pointed pliers to remove the spikes. Choose tools that are relatively clean to avoid infecting the wound, if possible.
- Be careful with the thorn after you have pulled it out, do not let the thorn pierce yourself or others. Discard the spike by placing it in a bottle and covering it or wrapping it in several layers of plastic. This is to prevent others from accidentally touching it.
- Do not use your bare hands to remove the spikes from the wound. If you don’t have tools to remove the spikes, it’s best to wait for a medical professional. Even thick gloves can’t guarantee you won’t get pricked while working, so you should exercise caution.
Wash and soothe stingray wounds
- If clean water or antiseptic water is not available, it is best to leave the wound as it is until you can wash it. Washing with unclean water is harmful because it increases the risk of infection for the victim. This can be especially dangerous for deep wounds.
- Remember to use clean pots and clean fresh water for soaking. This will help prevent the risk of further infection.
- Warm water can denature the proteins in the venom. Try to use hot water around 45°C.
- One common antibiotic ointment in the US is Neosporin triple-antibiotic. There are many similar drugs available in pharmacies and convenience stores. This medicine is for external use only.
- Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs that contain ibuprofen, aspirin, or naproxen. This drug is available under many brand names (such as Advil, Motrin, Aleve) and can be purchased at any pharmacy in the United States and most other countries.
- Note that anti-inflammatory drugs will not speed up wound healing, but only help reduce pain and discomfort caused by the wound.
- Remember that stingray venom is believed to have anticoagulant effects, especially at high doses. If the wound is bleeding and it doesn’t seem to go away or the sting is particularly severe, you should not give the victim an anti-inflammatory drug, which can decrease the blood’s ability to clot. Instead, you should immediately take the victim to a hospital, where they can be treated with local anesthetic injections and topical anesthetics.
- Your doctor may order an imaging test to make sure there aren’t any bits of stingray left in the wound. This is the only way to ensure that no harmful substances remain in the victim’s body. Even a small piece of thorn can cause an infection.
- Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection (especially if the wound occurs in seawater). Always take antibiotics for the full length of time prescribed, even if you think the wound has healed. Otherwise, you could make the wound infected or make the infection worse.
- Your doctor may also prescribe pain relievers if over-the-counter medications don’t work. Never take more than the dose prescribed by your doctor. To be safe, you need to follow the instructions that come with it (eg foods and drinks to avoid while taking the medicine).
Identify and treat sea urchin stab wounds
- This is not so important for the safety and well-being of the victim, but it will give you some certainty that the wound is from a sea urchin.
- The wound has thorns embedded in the skin. These spines are usually bluish in color and appear under the skin, indicating a puncture site.
- The victim immediately feels severe pain at the wound.
- The wound is swollen.
- The skin around the wound is red or purple-brown.
- Victim feels joint discomfort or muscle pain.
- The victim is weak or exhausted.
- There are many deep stab wounds.
- Wounds to the abdomen, chest, neck or face.
- Exhaustion, muscle pain, weakness, shock, paralysis or respiratory failure.
- As with any accident caused by marine life, getting the victim out of the water quickly and safely is essential to prevent further injury.
- Raise the injured part to keep sand or dirt out of the wound, especially if the wound is on the bottom of the foot.
- Do not allow the victim to drive on his own, as other symptoms may develop after the injury and render the victim unconscious or in more pain.
- If transportation is not available or no one knows where to find a hospital or hotel, call emergency services. Delaying wound treatment can be dangerous.
Wash and soothe sea urchin stab wounds
- Soak the affected area in a clean basin of clean fresh water. This is to prevent the risk of infection.
- Soaking in water won’t help the wound heal, but it can reduce pain and make it easier to remove the thorn.
- Do not dry the affected area. You need to remove the spines while the skin is still wet and soft.
- You can also soak the wound with vinegar to neutralize the venom and soften the wound.
- If tweezers are not available, you can use small sharp pliers or a similar tool to remove the large spikes from the wound. Choose clean instruments (if sterile, even better), to avoid introducing infectious agents into the wound.
- Place sea urchin spines in a bottle and cover, or wrap in several layers of plastic before throwing in the trash.
- Do not use your bare hands to remove the spikes from the wound. If equipment is not available, it is best to wait for medical help.
- Do not use shaving cream with menthp, as mentp has a cooling effect on the skin and may cause more pain or irritation to the wound.
- You can use vinegar to soak the injured area before shaving. Vinegar can break down the tiny spikes and make it easier to pick up the venom. [24] X Research Source
- You can also use cold water to wash, but cold water can cause more pain; while warm water neutralizes toxins.
- Disinfectant can be used in place of soap, but is not usually necessary.
- Note that anti-inflammatory drugs will not speed up wound healing, but only help reduce pain and discomfort caused by the wound.
- Never give a victim more than the recommended dose for their age and weight. Even over-the-counter medications can be harmful if misused.
- Your doctor can do an imaging test to make sure there are no fragments left in the wound. The sea urchin spines will gradually go deeper into the skin, possibly affecting nerves or surrounding tissues and causing complications.
- Swelling and pain that persists for more than five days may indicate an infection or broken sea urchin spines still deep in the skin. Only a doctor can handle this and can prescribe antibiotics to fight the infection. Always take the full prescribed dose of antibiotic, even if you think the wound has healed.
- In rare cases, minor surgery may be needed to remove broken sea urchin spines deep under the skin.
- The doctor may prescribe pain medication if the patient is in severe pain or in the case of surgery.
Advice
- Be careful when wading in shallow waters and stay away if you see stingrays or sea urchins. However, you should remember that it is not possible to completely eliminate the risk of injury from rays and sea urchins if you enter their habitat.
- Call 911 right away if you or someone you’re traveling with has been stung by a stingray or sea urchin, and you feel it could be life-threatening.
Warning
- Even a small sting can be deadly in some cases.
- It is always best to exercise extreme caution and seek medical attention to treat stingray and sea urchin wounds. This article is intended as a guide only when prompt medical attention is not available or for an injury that is clearly not serious.
- Stingrays and sea urchins can be extremely painful.
- The infection can return or get worse if the victim does not take the antibiotics for the full course of time; Always follow your doctor’s instructions when taking any medication!
This article was co-written by Anthony Stark, EMR. Anthony Stark is a certified paramedic in British Cpumbia. He currently works for the British Cpumbia Ambulance Service.
There are 8 references cited in this article that you can see at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 6,734 times.
Stingrays and sea urchins and other sea creatures are not aggressive in nature. However, they can cause painful and potentially dangerous wounds when disturbed or harmed. Learn how to identify stingrays and sea urchins, suggest first aid steps, and provide information for victims to treat at home for minor hand and foot injuries. However, it is best to still get professional care when stung by sea urchins and stingrays even after being cared for at home. Injuries to the abdomen, chest, neck, or face can be considered particularly serious, even life-threatening, and require immediate medical attention.
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