Marine (creatures that live in the sea) injuries

What is a marine injury?

Sea creatures cause injury in two ways:
• Stinging cells from creatures such as jelly fish and sea anemones.
• Poisonous spines from sea urchins, for example. These wounds can be deep, and can become infected if the spines are not removed.
There are some marine creatures that have a sting that may be fatal, but most will cause painful wounds with damage only in a small area.

Your actions:

As always, assess D R A B. If the casualty is showing signs of shock, or is having trouble breathing, he or she may be having a massive allergic reaction. See Unit 29.

Reassure the casualty, and encourage him or her to sit or lie down.

If possible, raise the affected part and

Apply a cold compress (something cold which you can use to apply pressure to the wound – like a towel with ice wrapped in it) to relieve pain and swelling for at least 10 minutes.

 

Your aims:

• Reassure the casualty.
• Stop the poison.
• Relieve pain and discomfort.

 

If the injury was caused by a jellyfish,

Pour vinegar or sea water over the injury for a few minutes.
Apply a cold compress against the skin for 10 minutes.
Raise the injured part.
Try to get medical help as soon as possible.
Remember to keep checking the casualty’s vital signs and writing down (or remembering) what you found and what you did, so that you can report this to any health worker who takes over from you.

Marine Puncture Wounds

These are caused by, for example, sea urchins (see page 200). The spines puncture the skin, and can be stuck deep in the skin. They also contain poison.

Your actions:

As always, assess D R A B. If the casualty is showing signs of shock, or is having trouble breathing, he or she may be having a massive allergic reaction. See Unit 30.

Place the injury into water as hot as the casualty can bear without scalding (burning) him or her. The injury will need to stay in hot water for at least 30 minutes.

Keep adding hot water but be careful not to scald the casualty.

Your aims:

• Stop the poison from working.
• Try to get medical help

Try to arrange transport for the casualty to a clinic or hospital to have the spines removed.

Remember to keep checking the casualty’s vital signs and writing down (or remembering)
what you found and what you did, so that you can report this to any health worker who takes over from you.

DO NOT:

Do not bandage the wound.

Beliefs about bites and stings

There are many beliefs about bites and stings. THESE ARE WRONG! Some of these include:

  1. You can get HIV from an insect bite (especially a mosquito bite)
  2. Treat a snake bite by putting on a tourniquet (tight bandage or something else tied
    around), lancing (cutting open) the wound and sucking out the poison.
  3. Put ice onto a snake bite
  4. Put raw onion onto the wound
  5. Smash the snake’s head and put it onto the wound\
  6. Use “black stone” to absorb (suck in) the snake’s poison
  7. Put ground charcoal onto the wound to absorb (suck out) the poison
  8. Put freshly killed raw chicken onto the wound
  9. Burn the site with a cigarette once the insect has been removed.
  10. THESE ARE WRONG!! You should not do any of them!