Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 4: Recognizing and Treating a Stingray Prick Wound
• Part 2 of 4: Cleaning and Caring for a Stingray Prick
• Part 3 of 4: Recognizing and Treating a Sea Urchin Stab Wound
• Part 4 of 4: Cleaning and Caring for a Sea Urchin Prick
• Tips
• Warnings

Although stingrays and sea urchins are quite peaceful marine animals, if disturbed or frightened, they can cause painful and potentially dangerous injuries and wounds. Learn to recognize pricks from stingrays and sea urchins, provide first aid, and advise on home remedies for shallow wounds on hands and feet. Even if stingray or sea urchin stinging wounds are shallow and treatable at home, it is best to seek professional medical attention. Wounds to the abdomen, chest, neck or face should be taken especially seriously as they can be life threatening. In this case, you should immediately seek medical attention.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Recognizing and Treating a Stingray Prick Wound

1. 1 Take a closer look at the general symptoms. A stingray injection is usually accompanied by the following symptoms (some of them may be mild, others more severe):
   • Puncture wound. The prick from the needle (thorn) can be quite large, with ragged edges. Stingrays rarely leave a thorn, but in some cases it can break off and stick out of the wound.
   • The victim immediately experiences acute pain radiating from the injection site.
   • The wound swells up noticeably.
   • The injection site is bleeding.
   • The skin around the wound first turns blue, then reddens.
   • There is increased sweating.
   • The victim becomes lethargic, weak and dizzy.
   • The victim is experiencing a headache.
   • The victim experiences nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
   • The injured person has difficulty breathing.
   • The victim has muscle contraction, muscle spasms and paralysis.
2. 2 Seek medical attention immediately if symptoms are severe. Urgent medical attention is needed in the following cases:
   • The wound is located on the victim's abdomen, chest, neck or face.
   • The victim has severe bleeding.
   • With shortness of breath, itching, nausea, tightness in the throat, rapid pulse, dizziness, loss of consciousness.
3. 3 Help the victim get out of the water to a safe place. Lay it on the ground if the incident occurred near the shore, or on the bottom (seat) of a boat or other vessel if you are away from the shore.
   • To prevent further damage, you must quickly and safely get out of the water.
   • If the victim is vomiting, lay him on his side to prevent him from choking on the vomit.
4. 4 Stop bleeding. This is best done by pressing down on the injection site with a clean cloth or towel.
   • If you don't have a clean cloth or towel on hand, a shirt or other piece of clothing will do.
   • Apply enough pressure to stop or significantly reduce bleeding. If the victim is conscious, ask him if the applied pressure is tolerable or is causing severe pain.
5. 5 If medical attention is delayed, pull out the spike yourself with tweezers. If the stingray spine remains in the wound, you should get it out so that toxins do not continue to be released from it into the body. However, the thorn is jagged, so when pulled, it will additionally damage the skin, releasing poison into the wound. In addition, in the hands of an inexperienced and insufficiently trained person, the spike can break, and subsequently the doctor will have to clean the wound, removing the remaining fragments from it. In fact, a very large spike can plug a wound, preventing excessive bleeding.For this reason, you should only try to remove the spike yourself if there is no chance of prompt medical attention (for example, if you are far out on the high seas).
   • If you don't have a pair of tweezers handy, sharp-nosed pliers will work to remove the thorn. Try to use a relatively clean instrument to avoid introducing infection into the wound.
   • Be careful: after removing the thorn from the wound, do not inject yourself or anyone around you. Place the removed thorn in an empty bottle and cover it with a lid or wrap it in several plastic bags. This will prevent the risk of anyone else getting hurt by the spike.
   • Do not use your bare hands to remove the thorn from the wound. If no tool or device is found that is suitable for removing a thorn, it is better to wait until professional doctors can do it. Even thick gloves cannot completely prevent the risk of pricking yourself when pulling on the spike, so be extremely careful.

Part 2 of 4: Cleaning and Caring for a Stingray Prick

1. 1 Treat the wound as you would for conventional lacerations. Wash it with warm clean water and soap and / or an antiseptic. If you do not have warm water, cold water can be used, but this will cause additional pain to the victim. If the victim is already in severe pain, you may not be able to flush the wound.
   • If you don't have clean water or an antiseptic fluid on hand, it's best to leave the wound untreated until you can rinse it out. Using dirty water can do more harm than good, increasing the risk of infection. The risk is especially high in the case of a deep wound.
2. 2 Soak the wound. This can be done when the victim gets to their home or medical facility. Dip the damaged body part in warm or slightly hot water and hold it there for 30-90 minutes.
   • When soaking a wound, be sure to use a clean container and clean fresh water. This will reduce the risk of further infection.
   • Warm water can change the properties of the proteins of the poison. Use water heated to 45 ° C.
3. 3 Keep the wound clean. This will speed up the healing process and prevent infection. Wash the affected area at least once a day and lubricate it with an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment (unless your doctor advises you to do otherwise).
   • You can use the popular Neosporin ointment, which contains three different antibiotics. Various modifications of this ointment can be purchased in pharmacies. This ointment is for external use only.
4. 4 Use anti-inflammatories. Over-the-counter medications can help reduce swelling and pain. However, they should not be taken if the person is vomiting or allergic to these drugs.
   • Over-the-counter anti-inflammatories include ibuprofen, aspirin, or naproxen; There are many modifications of this type of drugs (for example, Advil, Motrin and Aleve), which can be purchased at almost any pharmacy.
   • Note that anti-inflammatories do not speed up the healing process; they simply relieve pain and discomfort.
   • Remember that the venom in the stingray spine interferes with blood clotting, especially if there is a lot of it. If the wound continues to bleed and the bleeding does not decrease, or if the injection was particularly deep and painful, refrain from taking these medications, as they can further slow blood clotting. Instead, seek immediate medical attention and will be prescribed anesthetic ointments and local injections of anesthetic.
5. 5 See a doctor. Even in the case of a shallow wound and its rapid healing, the victim needs medical attention. It is better to start treating such wounds as early as possible in order to avoid complications and reduce possible risks.
   • Your doctor may order additional imaging tests to make sure there are no thorn fragments left in the wound. This is the only way to make sure that there are no foreign objects left in the body. Even a small splinter of a thorn can cause an infection.
   • Antibiotics may be prescribed to prevent infection (especially in the case of wounds sustained in salty seawater). You should always complete the prescribed course of antibiotics, even if you think you are cured before it ends. Otherwise, an infection may start and your condition will worsen.
   • If over-the-counter pain relievers do not work, your doctor may prescribe stronger medications. Never exceed the recommended dose. To avoid possible risks, strictly follow the instructions supplied with the drug (for example, do not eat or drink anything that is not recommended when taking the drug).

Part 3 of 4: Recognizing and Treating a Sea Urchin Stab Wound

1. 1 Examine the area around the victim. If you find a sea urchin in the immediate vicinity, it will be a clear sign that the person has been affected by the injection of this particular animal. These creatures are unable to swim quickly; immediately after the sea urchin is injected, it will most likely be near the victim.
   • This is not critical to the safety or health of the victim, and yet you will feel more confident knowing that it was the sea urchin who caused the injury.
2. 2 Take a closer look at the general symptoms. Although wounds caused by sea urchins can vary widely in severity, they share the general symptoms listed below.
   • The injection site contains fragments of needles (thorns) stuck into the skin. These needles often have a bluish tint, which can reveal even small needles that show through from under the skin.
   • The victim feels immediate and sharp pain at the injection site.
   • The injection site is swollen.
   • The skin around the wound becomes red or brownish purple.
   • The victim experiences joint discomfort and muscle pain.
   • The victim becomes weak and tired.
3. 3 Seek medical attention immediately if symptoms are severe. Even a small and seemingly insignificant wound from a sea urchin prick can be life-threatening, especially if the victim is allergic to the poison of this animal. Urgent medical attention is needed in the following cases:
   • There are multiple, deep puncture wounds.
   • The wound is located on the victim's abdomen, chest, neck, or face.
   • The victim experiences fatigue, muscle pain, weakness, shock, paralysis, or breathing problems.
4. 4 Help the victim get out of the water to a safe place. Lay him down on the ground if the incident occurred near the shore. In most cases, people get stabbed by a sea urchin by accidentally stepping on it with their bare feet, that is, it usually happens in shallow water near the coast.
   • As with any wound from contact with any marine animal, get out of the water as soon as possible to prevent further damage.
   • Raise the injured body part to keep sand and dirt out of the wound. This is especially important if the wound is on the foot.
5. 5 Take the victim to a safe area. If the victim and / or his companions feel that there is no need to call for emergency medical attention, they should be taken to their home, hospital, hotel or other nearby location where the wound can be treated.
   • Do not allow the victim to drive, as additional symptoms may appear some time after the injection, he may faint or feel more pain.
   • If you do not have any transport at your disposal or none of those present knows how to get to the hospital or hotel, call the emergency services (112 or 101 in Russia). It is not safe to postpone wound care.

Part 4 of 4: Cleaning and Caring for a Sea Urchin Prick

1. 1 Soak the injured body part in very warm or slightly hot water for 30 to 90 minutes. This will neutralize the poison, relieve pain and soften the skin, making it easier to remove the thorns that have lodged in it.
   • When soaking a wound, be sure to use a clean container and clean fresh water. This will reduce the risk of further infection.
   • While soaking the wound will not speed up the healing process, it will help reduce pain and make it easier to remove needles and needle fragments.
   • Do not dry the affected area. Remove the needles while the skin is wet and soft.
   • You can also soak the wound in vinegar to neutralize the poison and help soothe the pain.
2. 2 Remove large and visible needles with tweezers. This will prevent additional toxins from entering the wound and relieve pain.
   • If you do not have tweezers on hand, you can use pointed pliers to remove large needles. Use a clean (or better yet, sterile) instrument to avoid introducing additional infection into the wound.
   • Place the removed needles in an empty bottle and cover it or wrap it in several plastic bags before throwing it into the trash can.
   • Do not pull out the needles with your bare hands. If you do not have the right tools or attachments for this, it is best to seek medical attention.
3. 3 Gently shave off smaller, less visible needles. Apply shaving cream to the affected area and gently shave off fine needles that are shallow into the skin with a safety razor. Poison can also be released from these small needles; in addition, if left in the skin, they can cause severe pain.
   • Do not use menthol shaving cream, as its cooling effect can worsen pain and irritate the wound.
   • You can soak the affected area in vinegar before shaving off the needles. This will dissolve the smaller needles and make it easier for the venom to drain from the skin.
4. 4 Wipe the area gently with warm water and soap. This will cleanse the wound and remove any remaining small needles. Then rinse the affected area thoroughly in clean warm water.
   • Cold water can also be used, but this will cause additional pain to the victim; warm water has neutralizing properties.
   • An antiseptic liquid can be used in place of soap, although this is not required.
5. 5 Provide the victim with anti-inflammatory drugs. They can help relieve swelling and pain. Do not do this if the person is vomiting or allergic to these drugs.
   • Note that anti-inflammatories do not speed up wound healing. These over-the-counter medications simply help relieve pain and discomfort.
   • Never exceed the recommended dose, taking into account the age and weight of the victim. Even over-the-counter drugs can be harmful to health if the instructions for their use are not followed.
6. 6 See a doctor. Even if the wound is shallow and heals quickly, medical attention should be sought in order to completely eliminate the consequences and prevent possible complications.
   • Your doctor may order additional imaging tests to make sure there are no needle fragments left in the wound. Small fragments of sea urchin spines remaining in the skin are able to deepen into it over time, which often leads to local damage to the nerves and surrounding tissues, and also causes other complications.
   • If the swelling and pain persists for more than five days, it could be an indication of an infection or that the needles have not been removed deep into the skin.Only a doctor is able to solve this problem, and he may prescribe antibiotics to eliminate the infection. Always complete your prescribed course of antibiotics completely, even if you think you are cured before it ends.
   • In rare cases, minor surgery is required to remove deeply penetrated needle fragments.
   • For acute pain or surgery, you may be prescribed pain relievers.

Tips

• Be careful when walking in shallow sea water and avoid stingrays or sea urchins if you notice them. Keep in mind, however, that the risk of being stabbed by a stingray or sea urchin cannot be completely eliminated if you enter their habitat.
• Call 112 or 101 (in Russia) if your companion (your companion) is pricked by a stingray or sea urchin and you feel that his (her) life may be in danger.

Warnings

• When pricked by a stingray or sea urchin, it is always best to play it safe by seeking medical help. The recommendations given in this article should be followed only in cases where emergency medical care is not available or the wound is obviously light.
• Even seemingly insignificant injections under certain circumstances can be life-threatening.
• Injections from stingrays and sea urchins can cause excruciating pain.
• If the prescribed course of antibiotic treatment is not completed, the infection may recur and worsen. When taking any medication, always follow your doctor's instructions!