Pamela Thompson
Sound Medical Advice
Q. "I live in Bucerias. Sometimes I see scorpions and I am wondering what should I do if I am stung by one?" Mary in Bucerias.
A. They are certainly scary-looking things and I hope you do not have an encounter with one! The scorpion (called "alacran" in Spanish) stings with its tail, with no teeth so there are no actual bites. Scorpions are not human predators, so they are not interested in chasing us humans.
Out of 1,500 species, there are only 50 that are dangerous to humans. The species in the Banderas Bay area are not with a severe poisoning. They are nocturnal creatures. They hunt during the night, hiding in crevices during the day to avoid light.
They are commonly found in cupboards, under the bed and in shoes. Best to clean out areas where there are stacked books, a lot of things on shelves, stacked wood with a solution of water and Clorox.
They use their pincers to grasp their prey to inject their venom, sometimes more than once. They can voluntarily regulate the amount of poison in their sting. The poison from a scorpion directly affects the central nervous system. They can be slight to moderate-severe. The site of the sting normally does not result in a rash, redness, bump or a visible sting although the person stung often says it "feels like a red-hot coal".
Several factors determine the intensity of the symptoms such as the persons body weight, the size and color of the scorpion (clear and small scorpions are more poisonous than the big, dark ones), and location of the sting.
Hands and feet stings are less severe than a spine or head sting which are closer to the central nervous system Most important is the sensitivity of the individual. If you are stung, it is recommended that you follow these steps:
1) Apply a cold compress to the area.
2) Stay calm. The intensity of the pain does not have a relationship with the level of poisoning. You have approximately 1-2 hours before serious symptoms will occur, if at all.
3) Local physicians recommend that you do not take any medications (pain-killers, antihistamines). Many times they are not necessary and dealing with their side effects in some people creates further problems. Antihistamines taken before a medical assessment may increase the blood pressure, affecting the central nervous system, making it difficult for the physician to discriminate the side effects from the poisoning. These medications are used if necessary in specific cases but with the monitoring of blood pressure, pulse and oximetry. This is a personal decision and can vary from physician to physician.
4) Common local remedies such as applying chlorine, vinegar, alcohol, dead and smashed up scorpion, eating raw eggs are not proven to be effective. Should the person feel short of breath, chest pain or drowsy shortly after the sting, of course it is recommended to seek medical assistance immediately.
Anti-venom is available at the private healthcare institutions. The risk of an allergic reaction to the anti-venom is high and is normally used only in a person with severe reaction to the sting.
I have found in the past that people who have been stung by a scorpion should seek medical assistance as soon as possible, even if it turns out that it is not necessary, for their own peace of mind. Remember to shake out those shoes!
Pamela Thompson
www.healthcareresourcespv.com
pamela@healthcareresourcespv.com
Phone 322 107 7007
Blog: http://pampv.wordpress.com/