Marine Stings And Scrapes: Emergencies

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Emergencies

• Unconsciousness occurs.
• Shock occurs:
  • In children.
  • In adults and older children.
• Moderate to severe difficulty breathing occurs:
  • In children.
  • In adults and older children.
• An uncontrolled jerking of muscles (seizure) occurs. Note: Protect the person from harm during the seizure.
• Inability to move an arm or leg (paralysis) occurs.
• Rapid swelling of the throat or tongue occurs, causing difficulty swallowing or the feeling of a lump in the throat.
• The person had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) from a sting in the past, and similar symptoms are developing.

Note:

Use an allergy kit prescribed by your doctor if: Your symptoms are severe. You have a kit immediately available. You have been instructed how and when to use an allergy kit. You have had a severe reaction from a jellyfish or Portuguese man-of-war sting in the past, and you are beginning to have symptoms of a similar reaction.

Note: Do not use the kit if you do not have any symptoms of an allergic reaction now even if you had a severe reaction in the past.

Last updated:	September 24, 2007
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer