FIRST AID FOR LIONFISH ENVONOMATION
PRETRIP PREPARATIONS
Before heading out on the boat to cull lionfish be sure to have a well equipped first aid kit on board that includes pain killers, disinfectant, bandages, tweezers and if possible a thermos of hot water, and a container in which to submerge affected body parts, most likely fingers!
GETTING STUNG WHILE DIVING
Ok so you've gotten stung, what next? Do you end the dive? This depends on the severity of the envenomation. If you are in excruciating pain then yes you should end the dive and return to the boat/shore for treatment. Be sure to notify your dive guide that you are ending the dive and perform the safety stop with your buddy. On the boat you can begin treatment.
Before heading out on the boat to cull lionfish be sure to have a well equipped first aid kit on board that includes pain killers, disinfectant, bandages, tweezers and if possible a thermos of hot water, and a container in which to submerge affected body parts, most likely fingers!
GETTING STUNG WHILE DIVING
Ok so you've gotten stung, what next? Do you end the dive? This depends on the severity of the envenomation. If you are in excruciating pain then yes you should end the dive and return to the boat/shore for treatment. Be sure to notify your dive guide that you are ending the dive and perform the safety stop with your buddy. On the boat you can begin treatment.
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DISINFECTANT/BANDAGES/TWEEZERS
Many lionfish stings occur very quickly with the end of the spine penetrating a fingertip and releasing venom. These types of injuries produce little blood but cleaning the wound with disinfectant should be the first step in treating a lionfish sting. If a spine tip has broken off in the skin use tweezers to remove. HOT WATER Since lionfish venom is protein based it can be denatured with heat. Thus the First Aid treatment for lionfish stings is to immerse the afflicted area in hot water (113oF/45oC) for 30-90 minutes as soon as possible, The water should be hot but not scalding as as to cause skin irritation or burns. If you are assisting a sting victim, try the water on yourself first to assess tolerable heat levels. Do not rely on the victim's assessment, as intense pain may impair his ability to evaluate tolerable heat levels. If you cannot measure water temperature, a good rule of thumb is to use the hottest water you can tolerate without scalding. Note that different body areas have different tolerance to heat, so test the water on the same area where the diver was injured. If unlimited hot water is available it can be added to the container as the water cools off to keep the water at the optimum temperature. The hot water also eases the pain of the lionfish sting. If at sea and hot water is not available, a towel can be placed on the engine or soaked in engine exhaust water. |
PAINKILLERS
Painkillers can also be administered as directed by the manufacturer. The sooner these are take the quicker the pain will become manageable. Benadryl, an antihistamine, and Ibuprofin (Motrin or Advil) an anti inflammatory, are commonly taken to relieve swelling and pain. SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE In severe cases professional medical attention should be sought. First responders should utilize first aid training and monitor the ABCs - AIRWAY - BREATHING - CIRCULATION - of lionfish envonomation victims while enroute back to the diver center for transfer to the nearest medical facility. |
