Jellyfish Stings
The jellyfish family includes about 200 species that drift along the shoreline, dragging tentacles capable of stinging when touched. While most stings from jellyfish may cause little harm, some jellyfish can inflict severe stings, causing a child to panic and drown. In the water the shock of the sting often causes the child to jerk away, which only stimulates the tentacles to release more poison. If stung by a jellyfish on dry land, more poison is released if the child tries to rip off the sticky threads of the tentacles.
Symptoms
Stings can cause a severe burning pain with a red welt or row of lesions at the sting site. There also may be more general symptoms, including headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, diarrhea, convulsions, and breathing problems. The wound site becomes red and blistered and can leave permanent scars. One or two weeks after the sting, the child may experience a recurrence of the lesions at the site.
The sting of the Portuguese man-of-war is rarely fatal but causes hives, numbness, and severe chest, abdominal, and extremity pain. Death is usually the result of panic and drowning.
Treatment
Because tentacles continue to discharge their stinging cells as long as they remain on the skin, the most important first aid intervention is to remove all of the tentacles. Alcohol, ammonia, or vinegar and salt water (not freshwater) can be poured over the sting site to deactivate the tentacles, which should then be scraped off with a towel. Tentacles must not be removed by hand. Instead, they should be pulled (not rubbed) away. Baking soda in a paste can be applied to the sting to relieve pain; after an hour, it should be scraped off with an object (such as a credit card) to remove any remaining stinging cells. Calamine lotion will ease the burning sensation, and painkillers may help with the stinging pain.
Antivenin is effective against more dangerous species, but it must be given immediately. Jellyfish stings also may cause an allergic reaction, which can be treated with Benadryl or corticosteroids. A severe reaction to the sting may require hospitalization.
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