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As many of us approach what is for us a
very happy season and a very unhappy season for a few
sluggish, foolish or otherwise unaware lobsters, we might
want to consider what to do in the rare case that Mother
Nature decides to bite back. I have sorted through a few
articles and book excerpts and found some things that could
to be experienced should you choose perhaps to put your hand
somewhere that your eyes have not already been. Or perhaps
you have a little quirk in that “Perfect Buoyancy” that we
have all mastered and land on an Anemone not unlike a
Dragonfly might land on your windshield… At 80!
The next article will deal with general
treatment and care of all marine type injuries.
Remember: “Equalize early and equalize
often”
Todd Welle, Safety Chairman
Anemone Stings and Punctures
Rinse the sting thoroughly with salt or
fresh water to remove any adhering tentacles. Apply ice to
skin for pain. For persistent itching or skin rash, try
hydrocortisone ointment or Benadryl. These drugs are
sold without prescription. Nearly every substance
imaginable has been applied to anemone stings throughout the
world, including manure, mustard, and figs. No studies
indicate that any of these neutralize the venom. Some may be
harmful. Irrigate exposed eyes with room temperature tap
water for at least 15 minutes. If vision blurs, or the eyes
continue to tear, hurt, swell, or are light sensitive after
irrigating, see a doctor. If a red streak develops between
swollen lymph nodes and the sting, or if either area becomes
red, warm and tender, see a doctor immediately. Rarely,
stings cause seizures and death. Eating anemones can also
cause fatalities.
Barracuda Bites
For minor bites, gently pull the edges
of the skin open and remove any embedded teeth either by
rinsing or using tweezers. Scrub directly inside the wound
with clean gauze or a cloth soaked in clean, fresh water.
Press on the wound to stop bleeding. If bleeding
persists, the victim likely needs stitches. Taping a
bite shut is often an effective alternative, but may leave a
more visible scar than suturing. Victims who appear pale,
sweaty, and nauseated are in danger of fainting. Lower the
victim to the ground. Barracudas can sever arteries or
veins. In such cases, victims can die rapidly from blood
loss. Often, a rescuer can stop bleeding from severed
blood vessels by firmly pressing anything handy (swimsuit,
towel, hand) directly on the wound. Such pressure
usually causes the vessel to clamp down in spasm, and clots
begin to form. In the water, however, this procedure can be
nearly impossible, especially while helping a victim to
shore, or to a boat. In these cases, when bleeding may be
fatal, a tourniquet is appropriate. Tying a dive mask strap
around a massively bleeding limb could save a life.
Coral Cuts
For minor cuts, gently pull the edges
of the skin open and remove embedded coral either by rinsing
or using tweezers. Scrub directly inside the cut with clean
gauze or a cloth soaked in clean, fresh water. Press on the
wound to stop bleeding. If bleeding persists, or the edges
of a wound are jagged or gaping, the victim likely needs
stitches. Taping a cut shut is often an effective
alternative, but may leave a more visible scar than
suturing. It is not true that using iodine or iodine
solutions to wash coral cuts will cause coral to grow in the
wound. Coral is a marine animal; it can never grow inside
the human body. A popular local treatment for coral cuts
is to urinate on the wound. This may sometimes wash broken
pieces of coral from the cut, but urine discharges
nematocysts thus, urine may make the injury worse. For
large cuts, fevers, or any other signs of infection or
illness after coral contact, see a doctor.
Moray Bites
Moray eel bites are notorious for
tendon and nerve damage in hands and feet. For minor bites,
gently pull the edges of the skin open and remove embedded
teeth either by rinsing or using tweezers. Scrub directly
inside the bite with clean gauze or a cloth soaked in clean,
fresh water. Press on the wound to stop bleeding. If
bleeding persists, or the edges of a wound are jagged or
gaping, the victim likely needs stitches. Taping a bite shut
is often effective, but may leave a more visible scar than
suturing. If a finger or toe is numb or won't move normally
after a bite, see a doctor immediately. Victims who appear
pale, sweaty, and nauseated are in danger of fainting. Lower
the victim to the ground.
Sea Urchin Punctures
For simple punctures, gently pull out
any protruding spines, these are so brittle they almost
always break off in the wound. Neither urine nor vinegar
dissolves such embedded spines or safely relieves the pain.
In most cases, the body either absorbs spine fragments in 24
hours to 3 weeks, or they work themselves out through the
skin. Most wounds heal in about one month. Applying heat
for pain control is unproven. Some recommend it; others
believe it is of no benefit and should not be done. If
spines are embedded in the flesh (a rare occurrence), or any
sea urchin spines have penetrated a joint or nerve, see a
doctor. Also see a doctor if a sea urchin wound shows any
sign of infection, such as redness, warmth, or pus
formation. Victims with generalized weakness, shortness
of breath, and/or nausea and vomiting after a puncture
should go directly to an emergency facility.
Portuguese Man-of-War Stings
Pick off any visible tentacles with
a gloved hand, stick, or anything handy, being careful to
avoid further injury.
Rinse the sting thoroughly with salt or
fresh water to remove any adhering tentacles. Apply ice
for pain control. Irrigate exposed eyes with copious
amounts of room temperature tap water for at least 15
minutes. If vision blurs, or the eyes continue to tear,
hurt, swell, or are light sensitive after irrigating, see a
doctor. For persistent itching or skin rash, try
hydrocortisone ointment or Benadryl. Vinegar is no longer
recommended for Portuguese man-of-war stings. In a
laboratory experiment, vinegar dousing caused the
discharge of nematocysts. No studies support applying
heat to Portuguese man-of-war stings. Studies on the
effectiveness of meat tenderizer, baking soda or
commercial sprays (containing aluminum sulfate and
detergents) on nematocyst stings have been contradictory.
It's possible these substances cause further damage.
Alcohol and human urine may be harmful on Portuguese
man-of-war stings. A key concept in the first aid of
any injury is: Do no harm. Therefore, avoid applying
unproven, possibly harmful substances on stings. See a
doctor if pain persists, the rash worsens, a feeling of
overall illness develops, a red streak develops between
swollen lymph nodes and the sting, or if either area becomes
red, warm and tender. Some people are extremely sensitive to
the venom; a few have allergic reactions. Consider even the
slightest breathing difficulty, or altered level of
consciousness, a medical emergency.
Ray Wounds:
For ray
wounds without envenomation, clean by gently pulling the
edges of the skin open and scrub directly inside the cut
with clean gauze or a cloth soaked in clean, fresh water.
For ray wounds with venom release (evident by severe pain),
rinse the area immediately with whatever water is handy
(ocean water if fresh water isn't available) to remove
poison gland tissue and venom. Remove any parts of an
embedded spine with tweezers and thorough scrubbing and
rinsing. Press on the wound to stop bleeding. If bleeding
persists, or the edges of a wound are jagged or gaping, the
victim likely needs surgery to trim, clean and repair the
wound. For pain control after envenomation, soak the area
in hot, nonscalding water for 30 to 90 minutes.
(Helpers should test the water temperature on their own hand
or foot first to make sure it isn't scalding. Victims in
pain may not be able to judge if water is too hot.) Often,
when the water cools, the pain returns. Repeat hot water
soaks for up to two hours. After this, heat is of little
value. Ray wounds often become infected, and some people
have reactions to the venom. See a doctor for redness,
swelling, or delayed healing. Victims with a numb or
abnormally moving finger or toe, or anyone with a feeling of
general illness after a ray sting should go directly to an
emergency department.
Scorpionfish Wounds
Pain relief is a high priority in
Scorpionfish stings. To ease pain, soak the wound in
nonscalding hot water for 30 to 90 minutes. (Victims in pain
may not be able to tell if water is too hot. Someone else
should test the water temperature on his or her own hand
first.) Heat inactivates at least one of the toxins in the
venom, and thus relieves some of the pain. If pain
returns an hour or more later, try the heat soaks again.
While soaking, remove any protruding pieces of the spine or
skin from the puncture. Do not apply a tourniquet, ice, or
pressure bandage. To clean the wound, gently pull the edges
of the skin and scrub with clean gauze or a cloth soaked in
clean, fresh water. Victims of infected Scorpionfish stings
should see a doctor. If a victim shows any signs of a
serious reaction (listed in Signs and Symptoms above) to a
Scorpionfish puncture, consider it a medical emergency.
These are all suggestions and
have been collected from a variety of sources. The above
should not be considered as a medical opinion and are for
reference only. First, do no further harm. Second, take a
moment, collect your thoughts than ACT! |
