Antidote for Trachinus araneus (Spotted weever) Sting

[BoltSnap]

Can anyone provide information on the proper medical treatment/first aid to deal with Trachinus araneus (Spotted weever) Sting and what antidote should be used please?

Few people were "attacked" and stung by this fish in Libya but there was no help for them in the hospitals there. No one knew what to do for them in these hospitals/clinics except give them pain killers. One recent victim was under sedation for almost 3 weeks after his injury due to this fish's attack. Symptoms included severe pain and extreme swelling all over the injured victim's body.


Spotted weever - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


(Apologize if this isn't the appropriate forum for this thread. I would be grateful if one of the moderates would direct me to the correct forum if I am wrong).

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Burhan,

To the best of my admittedly limited knowledge, there is no known antidote for Trachinus araneus envenomation.

As you indicate, signs/symptoms can include severe pain & swelling, as well as itching, redness, numbness, headaches, cramps, nausea, vomiting, tremors & increased urination. Rarely very worrisome signs/symptoms such as heart dysrhythmias, seizures, decreased blood pressure & unconsciousness can occur, and these obviously would indicate proper measures be taken.

The standard treatment is extended application of water as hot as the victim can endure WITHOUT causing burns or other injury (as in no more than 45ºC/113ºF for a max of 90 mins per application). As with almost all such situations, the quicker the treatment, the better. The use of analgesics for acute pain is entirely appropriate given no contraindications (e.g., allergy to the specific analgesic agents(s), respiratory depression/shortness of breath). I am not aware of any cases in which victim required “…sedation for almost 3 weeks after his injury….), but I suppose could occur in individuals who are highly reactive to the toxin.

Appropriate wound management principles should be followed as tissue necrosis & gangrene are possibilities.

Regards,

DocVikingo

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.

 

[BoltSnap]

Dear Doc,

Thank you!!!

The person who was sedated for almost 3 weeks was given heavy doses of pain killers by the hospital staff since he was in severe pain and they didn't know what to do with him as far as I know. They just kept pumping him with pain killer to get rid of his complaining of pain.

Note: The fish attacked the diver and stung him under the chin!!! He may exhibited unusual allergic reaction to the medication he was given or perhaps to the toxin itself (this is a guess on my part).

Medical services in Libya are worse than horrible and one can't rely on their "services" at all thus why I am trying to find more information for future reference.

 

[TSandM]

I did a literature search this morning, and Doc Vikingo is right. There is no specific treatment for this venom other than the application of local heat (40 to 43 C for 30 to 90 minutes, or until pain is relieved). Cases with prolonged symptoms like the one you describe are apparently very rare, although pain for a day or two is not uncommon.