Insect Bites And Stings And Spider Bites: Emergencies
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Emergencies
Do you have any of the following symptoms that require emergency treatment? Call 911 or other emergency services immediately.
- Signs of shock occur:
- Moderate to severe difficulty breathing occurs:
- You have had a previous severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to a similar bite or sting.
- Rapid swelling of the throat or tongue occurs.
- An uncontrolled jerking of muscles (seizure) occurs along with unresponsiveness. Protect the person from harm during the seizure.
- You have swelling of the eyeball (not around the eye or the eyelid).
Note: Use an allergy kit prescribed by your doctor for a known allergy problem if all of the following are true:
- Your symptoms are severe.
- You have a kit immediately available.
- You have been instructed in how and when to use an allergy kit.
- You have had a severe reaction to the same or a similar insect or spider and you are beginning to have symptoms of a similar reaction.
Note: Do not use the kit if you are not currently having any symptoms of an allergic reaction, even if you had a severe reaction in the past.
| Last updated: | February 01, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS |
| Reviewed By: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, Sean P. Bush, MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine and Envenomation Specialist |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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