Insect Bites and Stings
What are the treatments for the injury?
Treatment for tick bites is as follows:
Remove the tick's head from under the skin, using tweezers. Removing the
tick's head is more important than removing the whole tick.
After removing the tick's head, the area should be cleaned thoroughly
with soap and water. It is important to get rid of bacteria on the skin.
If the head of the tick cannot be removed, a person should see a
healthcare provider for removal, and for information about Lyme disease
.
If the sting appears to have been made by a honeybee, try to remove the sting
sac. This can be scraped out of the wound with a fingernail or plastic card.
Care should be taken not to pinch the sting sac with fingers or tweezers. This
will cause more venom to be released.
Other steps that should be taken after a bite or sting are as follows:
washing the wound with soap and lukewarm water
covering the site with a clean, dry cloth
removing rings and other constricting items
keeping the person still
watching for serious problems with breathing
remaining with the person until medical help arrives
Bites by black widow or brown recluse spiders require immediate
medical attention because the venom kills the skin tissue around the bite.
Also, it is important that the person have an up-to-date tetanus shot.
This vaccination is given every 10 years, or more frequently if there is a
danger of a wound becoming infected.
Insect bites or stings can cause anaphylaxis
in some people.
This is a potentially life-threatening condition that causes breathing
difficulties and possible cardiac arrest. If a person appears to be having
trouble breathing, call for medical help immediately. In the meantime, keep the
person's airway open, and do not let the individual lie down. If he or she
carries injectable medicine for treatment of anaphylaxis, it should be given
right away. If the person stops breathing, begin
cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, at once.
What are the side effects of the treatments?
Medicines used to treat insect bites or stings may cause drowsiness and other
minor side effects.
What happens after treatment for the injury?
Any new or worsening symptoms should be reported to the healthcare
provider.
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