BITES AND STINGS

By:
Nelson M. Vallejo, EMT-B
Central 911 - EMS
OBJECTIVES
 To learn about animal and human bites.
 To learn the different types and characteristics of snakes,
and its corresponding care.
 To learn about insect stings, spider, insect bites and
marine animal injuries.
 And how to handle and care for its injuries.
ANIMAL BITES
 It is estimated that one of every two will be bitten at
some time by an animal or by another person.
 Dogs are responsible for 80% of all animal bite injuries.
And 80% are minor, medical care is not required, which
demonstrates the importance of knowing first aid.
 Animal bites represent a major, largely unrecognized
public health problem.
 To concerns result from an animal bite:
 Immediate tissue damage
 Infection from microorganisms
RABIES
 Is one of the most ancient and feared of diseases.
 A virus found in warm-blooded animals causes rabies,
which spreads from one animal to another in the saliva.
 Usually through a bite or licking.
CONSIDER AN ANIMAL AS POSSIBLY
RABID, IF:
 The animal made an unprovoked attack.
 The animal acted strangely, that is, out of character.

 The animal was a high-risk species (skunk, raccoon, or

bat).
 If bitten:
 Report animal bites to animal control officers;
 The animal should be confined and observed for 10 days for
any illness.
 If wild animal bit the victim, considered a possible rabies
exposure and seek medical care immediately.
RECOGNIZING AN ANIMAL BITE
 Characteristics:
 Puncture wound from animal’s sharp, pointed teeth
 Tissue and skin can be crushed
 Open wound on fingers, knuckles, and/or hand
 Animal might be present
CARE FOR VICTIMS OF AN ANIMAL BITE
 If the wound is not bleeding heavily, wash with soap and
water. Avoid scrubbing, which can bruise the tissue.
 Control the bleeding and cover the wound with a sterile
or clean dressing.
 Seek medical care.
HUMAN BITES
 The animal most likely to bite humans is another human.
 Human bites can cause severe injury, often more so than
other animal bites.
 The human mouth contains a wide range of bacteria and
viruses, than warm-blooded animals.
 Inflicted by fighting, in mental institutions, or during
sexual assaults.
 Embarrassment sometimes causes a victim not to seek
medical care immediately, which greatly increases the
risk of infection.
RECOGNIZING HUMAN BITES
 There are two types of human bites:
 True bites
 occurs when any part of the body’s flesh is caught between
teeth, usually deliberately.
 Clenched-fist injury
 Which results from cutting a fist or teeth. Although clenched-
fist injuries usually result from a fight, unintentional injury
can happen during sports and play.
CARE FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN BITES
 Wash it with soap and water for 5 to 10 minutes. Avoid
scrubbing, which can bruise tissue.
 Flush the wound thoroughly with running water under
pressure.
 Control bleeding with direct pressure.

 Cover the wound with a sterile dressing. Do not close

the wound with tape or butterfly bandages.
 Seek medical care.
SNAKEBITES
 Throughout the world, about 50,000 people die of
snakebites each year.
 Amazingly, fewer than a dozen die each of snakebites.

 Victims who die of snakebites usually do so during the

first 48 hours after the bite.
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS
OF PIT VIPERS
 Triangular, flat heads wider than their neck
 Elliptical pupils (cat’s eyes)

 A heat-sensitive pit between the eye and the nostril

VENOMOUS SNAKES OF ASIA
 Green Tree Pit Viper (Trimeresurus gramineus)
 Description:
 Uniform bright green
 Dull green
 Light yellow facial lips
Green Tree Pit Viper
 Characteristics:
 Small arboreal snake
 Not considered a deadly species
 Most of its bites occur in the head, shoulder, and neck areas
 Seldom comes to the ground
 Feeds on young birds, lizards, and tree frogs
 Habitat:
 Dense rain forests
 Plantations
 The green tree pit viper is located throughout India, Burma,
Malaya, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China,
Indonesia, and Formosa.
VENOMOUS SNAKES OF ASIA
 King Cobra (Ophiophagus
hannah)
 Description:
 Olive
 Brown
 Green
 Ring like cross-bands of black
KING COBRA
 Characteristics:
 Largestvenomous snake in the world
 Causes relatively few bites on humans
 Appears to have a degree of intelligence
 Avoids attacking another venomous snake for fear of being
bitten
 Feeds exclusively on harmless species
 Female is highly aggressive toward anything that closely
approaches her nest.
 Powerful, neurotoxin venom
 Without medical aid, death is certain for its victims
KING COBRA
 Habitat:
 Dense jungle
 Cultivated fields
 The king cobra makes its
home in Thailand,
southern China, Malaysia
Peninsula, and the
Philippines.
VENOMOUS SNAKES OF ASIA
 Krait (Bungarus
caeruleus)
 Description:
 Black
 Bluish-black
 White narrow cross-bands
 Narrow head
KRAIT
 Characteristics:
 Found only in Asia
 15 times deadlier than the common cobra
 Active at night
 Relatively passive during the day
 Has a tendency to seek shelter in sleeping bags, boots, and
tents
 Powerful neurotoxin venom causes respiratory failure
KRAIT
 Habitat:
 Open fields
 Human settlements
 Dense jungle
 The krait is exclusively distributed throughout India, Sri
Lanka, and Pakistan.
VENOMOUS SNAKES OF ASIA
 Malayan Pit Viper (Callaselasma
rhodostoma)
 Description:
 Reddish
 Pink tinges toward the belly
 Triangular-shaped, brown markings
 Markings bordered with light-colored
scales
 Base of the triangular-shaped markings
end at the midline
 Dark brown, arrow-shaped markings on
the top and each side of its head
MALAYAN PIT VIPER
 Characteristics:
 Long fangs
 Ill-tempered
 Responsible for many bites
 Hemotoxic venom
 Venom destroys blood cells and tissue
 Moves into many areas in search of food
 Greatest danger is stepping on the snake with bare feet
MALAYAN PIT VIPER
 Habitat:
 Rubber plantations
 Farms
 Rural villages
 Rain forests
 The Malayan pit viper makes its
home in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia,
Java, Sumatra, Malaysia, Vietnam,
Burma, and China.
VENOMOUS SNAKES OF ASIA
 McMahon's Viper
(Eristicophis macmahonii)
 Description:
 Sandy buff color dominates the body
 Darker brown spots on the side of
the body
 Broad nose shield aids in burrowing
MCMAHON'S VIPER
 Characteristics:
 Very little is known about this species
 Rare or seldom seen
 Very irritable
 Hisses, coils, and strikes at any intruder that ventures too
close
 Highly hemotoxic venom
MCMAHON'S VIPER
 Habitat:
 Semi desert
 Hides during the day's sun
 Comes out only at night to feed on rodents
 McMahon's viper resides in West Pakistan and Afghanistan.
VENOMOUS SNAKES OF ASIA
 Cobra (Naja naja)
 Description:
 Also known as the Asiatic
cobra.
 Usually slate gray to brown
overall.
 The back of the hood may or
may not have a pattern
RECOGNIZING PIT VIPER BITES
 Signs of a pit viper bite include:
 Severe burning pain at the bite site
 Two small puncture wounds about ½ inch apart
 Swelling (occurs within 10 to 15 minutes)
 Discoloration and blood-filled blisters (developing in 6 to 10
hours)
 In severe cases, nausea, vomiting, sweating, and weakness
 In about 25% of poisonous snake bites, there is no venom
injection, only fang and tooth wounds.
CARE FOR VICTIMS OF PIT VIPER BITES
 Get the victim and bystanders away from the snake.
 Do not attempt to capture or kill the snake.

 Keep the victim quiet. Activity increases venom

absorption.
 Gently wash the bitten area with soap and water.
Removed accessory and jewelry.
 Stabilize the bitten extremity with a sling or splint. Keep
below heart level.
 Seek medical care immediately.
NONPOISONOUS SNAKE BITES
 Inflict in most snake bites. If you are not positive about
a snake, assume it was venomous.
 Can cause painful local reactions but no systemic
(whole-body) symptoms.
RECOGNIZING NONPOISONOUS
SNAKE BITES
 Feeling of a mild to moderate pinch
 Curved lines (horseshoe shaped) of tiny pinpricks on the
skin
 Bleeding (non or mild)

 Mild itching
CARE FOR VICTIMS OF NONPOISONOUS
SNAKE BITES
 Gently clean the bite site with soap and water.
 Care for the bite as you would a minor wound.

 Seek medical care.

INSECT STINGS
 Belonging to the order of Hymenoptera includes:
 Honeybees
 Bumblebees
 Yellow jackets
 Hornets
 Wasps

 These insects account for more deaths and illnesses each

year than all other venomous animals combined.
CHARACTERISTICS OF INSECT STINGS
 Aggressive when threatened or disrupted.
 Honeybees and yellow jackets have barbed stingers that
become embedded in the victim’s skin during the sting.
 It leaves behind the embedded stinger and venom sac, which
causes it to die.
 Some venom remains in the stingers, if not removed properly
additional venom can be released and worsen the reaction.
RECOGNIZING INSECT STINGS
 A rule of thumb is that the sooner symptoms develop
after a sting, the more serious the reaction will be.
 Instant pain, redness, and itching
 Worrisome reactions include hives, swelling of lips and
tongue, a tickle in the throat, and wheezing
 Life-threatening reactions are bluish or grayish skin color,
seizures, unresponsiveness, and an inability to breath.
CARE FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS
INSECT STINGS
 Most people who have been stung can be treated on site,
and everyone should know what to do if a life-
threatening allergic reaction occurs.
 Look at the sting site for a stinger and venom sac
embedded in the skin. Scrap the stinger with a hard
object.
 Wash the sting site with soap and water to prevent
infection.
 Apply an ice pack to slow absorption and to relieve pain.
CARE FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS
INSECT STINGS
 To further relieve pain and itching use minor pain
reliever (adults only).
 Observe the victim for 30 minutes for signs of allergic
reaction.
 Do not use epinephrine to treat a sting unless there is a
severe allergic reaction.
 Watch for delayed allergic reaction, if develops, Call 9-
1-1.
SPIDER BITES
 Black Widow
 May feel sharp pain
 Two fang marks
 Severe abdominal pain
 Headache, chills, fever, sweating, dizziness, nausea

 Brown Recluse and Hobo

 Blisterdeveloping several days later
 Ulcer in skin
 Headache, fever, weakness, nausea
CARE FOR SPIDER BITES
 Catch spider for identification, if possible.
 Wash bitten area with soap and water.

 Apply an ice or cold pack.

 Seek medical care.

SCORPION STINGS
 Pain and burning at sting site
 Later, numbness or tingling
CARE FOR SCORPION STINGS
 Wash sting site with soap and water.
 Apply an ice or cold pack.

 Seek medical care.

TICK BITES
 Tick still attached
 Rash (especially one shaped like a bull’s-eye)

 Fever, joint aches, weakness

CARE FOR TICK BITES
 Remove tick.
 Wash bitten area with soap and water.

 Apply rubbing alcohol.

 Apply an ice or cold pack.

 Watch bitten area for 1 month for rash.

 Seek medical care, if rash or other signs such as fever, or

muscle joint aches appear.
MARINE ANIMAL INJURIES
1. Bites, rips, or punctures from Marine Animals
 Sharks, barracudas, moray eels
2. Stings from Marine Animals
 Jellyfish, Portuguese man-of-war
3. Punctures from Marine Animal Spines
 Stingray
 Anemones

Jellyfish

Portuguese man-of-war

Stingray
CARE FOR MARINE ANIMAL INJURIES
1. Bites or Rips
 Control bleeding
 Care for shock
 Call 9-1-1

2. Stings
 Scrape off tentacles
 Apply vinegar

3. Punctures
 Immerse injured part in hot water for 30 to 90 minutes
 Wash with soap and water
 Flush with water under pressure
 Care for wound
QUESTIONS?