Bites and scratches 1 st Aid & Emergencies

Bites animal and human: When to call a doctor If you need stitches (6-8 hours), or the wound is on face, hand, foot, or over a joint The bite or scratch is from a bat or wild animal The bite is from a human or cat. These bites get infected quickly and easily The bite is from a dog, cat, or ferret that foams at the mouth, acts strangely, or attacked for no clear reason. Also call the local animal control or public health office.

Bites animal and human: When to call a doctor continued.. You can’t find the owner of a pet that bit you, or the owner can’t confirm that the pet’s rabies vaccine is up to date. You lose feeling or movement below the wound You have signs of infection. (pain, swelling, warmth, redness, red streaks leading from the wound, pus, or fever. You don’t know when your last tetanus shot was. (get it within 2 days)

Rabies After an animal bite, you may want to know if you need a rabies shot. Rabies is quite rare, but it is deadly if you are not vaccinated soon after a bite from an infected animal. The main carriers of rabies in North America are bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Vaccinated pets, such as dogs, cats, and ferrets rarely have rabies Many stray animals have not been vaccinated

Home Treatment Let the wound bleed freely for up to 5 minutes, unless the bleeding is heavy. Scrub the wound with soap and water. Do not use alcohol, iodine, or any other cleansers. Call the local animal control or public health office for advice on what to do. They can tell you whether you need to worry about rabies or not.

Bites and Stings-Insects, spiders, and ticks Call 911 if You have signs of a severe allergic reaction soon after a bite or sting. These may include Wheezing or trouble breathing Swelling around the lips, tongue, or face Severe swelling around the bite or sting Fainting or other signs of shock You have just been bitten or stung by something that caused a serious reaction in the past.

Bites and Stings-Insects, spiders, and ticks Call a doctor if You get a spreading skin rash, itching, a feeling or warmth, or hives You get a blister at the site of a spider bite, or the skin around it changes color A black widow, brown recluse, or hobo spider bites you (pg 15) Symptoms are not better in 2 or 3 days You have signs of infection (increased pain, swelling, warmth, redness, red streaks leading from bite, pus, and fever)

Bites and Stings-Insects, spiders, and ticks Call 911 if continued…. A tick is attached to you and you cannot remove the whole tick You were recently exposed to ticks and have a spreading red rash. The rash may or may not be in the bite area and may or may not occur with flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, body aches, and fatigue. You want to talk about allergy kits or allergy shots because you have had a serious allergic reaction in the past.

Insects and Spiders Bites and stings from insects (bees, wasps, yellow jackets) and spiders usually cause pain, swelling, redness, and itching at the site of the sting or bite. In some people, especially children, the redness and swelling may be worse and last up to a few days. A few people have severe allergic reaction that affect the whole body. This type of reactions can be deadly. If you have had a severe allergic reaction to a past sting or bite, you may want to keep an allergy kit with an epinephrine syringe (such as an EpiPen) with you at all times.

Spider bites Are rarely serious. But any bite can be serious if it causes a person to have an allergic reaction A single bit from a poisonous spider may cause a severe reaction and needs medical care right away. A bite from a female black widow spider may cause chills, fever, nausea, and severe belling cramps. A bite from a brown recluse or hobo spider causes intense pain, and you may get a blister that turns into a large, open sore. The bite may also cause nausea, vomiting, headaches, and chills.

Ticks Ticks are small bugs that bite into the skin and feed on blood. They live in bird feathers, and animal fur. Tick bites occur more often from early spring to late summer. Most ticks do not carry diseases, and most tick bites do not cause serious health problems. Still, it is best to remove a tick as soon as you find one. Many diseases that ticks may pass to humans, such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, relapsing fever, and Colorado tick fever, have the same flu-like symptoms: fever, headache, body aches, fatigue Sometimes a rash or sore may occur with the flu-like symptoms. A red rash that gets bigger is a classic early sign of Lyme disease. It may appear 1 day to 1 month after a tick bite.

Home Treatment Remove bee stinger by scraping or flicking it out. Do not squeeze it; you may release more venom into the skin. If you can’t see the stinger, assume it’s not there If a spider bites you, put ice on the bite and call a doctor. Do not use a tourniquet Put ice or a cold pack on the bite or sting. For some people, a paste of baking soda and unseasoned meat tenderizer mixed with a little water helps relieve pain and decrease the reaction Take an antihistamine (Benadryl) to relieve pain, swelling, and itching. Calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream may help. Wash the area with soap and water. Do not break any blisters that develop. They could get infected.

Home Treatment for ticks Check your body often for ticks when you are out in the woods. Closely check your clothes, skin, and scalp when you get home. Check your pets for ticks too. The sooner you remove ticks, the less likely they are to spread infection. If you find a tick, try to remove it. Use tweezers to gently pull on it as close to the skin (where its mouth is) as you can get. Pull straight out, and try not to crush the tick’s body. Do not try to “unscrew” the tick. Do not try to burn off the tick or smother it with petroleum jelly, nail polish, gasoline, or rubbing alcohol. Save the tick in a jar for tests in case you get flu-like symptoms after the bite. Wash the area with soap and water.

Mosquitoes and West Nile Virus West Nile virus is an infection spread to humans by mosquitoes. Most people who get the virus do not get sick. When symptoms do occur, they appear 3 to 14 days after the bite and include fever, headache, body aches, and sometimes a skin rash. This is called West Nile fever. It is usually a mild illness. Rarely, West Nile virus may affect the brain, causing serious illness that can lead to long-lasting problems or even death. Older adults are most likely to have serious illness from West Nile virus.

When to call a doctor Call a doctor if you were exposed to mosquitoes in the past 2 weeks and have any of these symptoms: Fever, headache, stiff neck, and confusion Muscle weakness or loss of movement Mild fever, rash, body aches, or swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin that last more than 2 or 3 days

How to avoid West Nile Virus Stay indoors at dawn, at dusk, and in the early evening. Mosquitoes are most active at these times. Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants made of thick fabric. Use an insect repellant that contains DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. For the best protection apply and reapply as the label says. Don’t keep open containers of water near your home. Mosquitoes can breed in even a small amount of standing water.