First Aid For Animal Encounters

Recently Answered

• QWhat should I do if my child is stung by a bee?

  3 Answers

  A

  

  A Overland Park Regional Medical Center answered

  If your child gets stung by a bee, do the following:

  • Brush the stinger away with the edge of a credit card.
  • Apply a salve of one part meat tenderizer to four parts water, or apply a paste of baking soda and water, and leave it on the area for about 30 minutes to neutralize the venom.
  • Apply cold compresses and hydrocortisone cream.
  • Give an oral antihistamine to reduce swelling.

  Special Concerns: Bee stings often look worse the next day—skin reactions are normal and may last up to a week. But some people have severe allergic reactions to bee stings that include all-over hives, difficulty breathing, dizziness or fainting, and swelling of the lips and tongue. These can be life-threatening reactions that require immediate medical help. If your child has this allergy, his doctor will prescribe an injectable form of epinephrine, a lifesaving medicine.

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• QHow do I avoid tick bites?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at P/SL answered

  You can avoid tick bites by:

  1. Wear long sleeves, long pants and tuck your pants inside of your socks, so you don't expose the skin. And, wear light-colored clothing so you can see the ticks better.
  2. Using insect repellant like Off if you're going hiking or camping. The CDC recommends people use repellants that have more than 20 to 24 percent of DEET. You’ll want to spray it all over your body. You can spray it on your hands to apply it to your face, just make sure you avoid the eyes and mouth and use sparingly on the ears and the back of your neck. And, remember to wash your hands afterwards. Children should not handle repellents because they are all toxic. An adult should spray it on their hands and put it on their kids.
  3. Take a shower within 3 hours of being outdoors. If you take a shower within this time frame, you should be able to wash the ticks off your body.
  4. Check for ticks. They love warm areas such as the neck, the skull, under the armpits, brawny areas, the belt area and the back. Ask a friend to check your scalp and back.
• QWhat do I do if I encounter a black widow spider?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  

  Watch this video to learn more from Dr. Mehmet Oz about black widow spiders.
  
  
  

  

  Find out more about this DVD:

  What Do I Do If I Encounter a Black Widow Spider?
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• QShould I call 9-1-1 for someone bitten by a snake?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A American Red Cross answered

  If the bite is from a venomous snake such as a rattlesnake, copperhead, cottonmouth or coral snake, call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number immediately.
• QWhat should I do if I get bitten by a snake?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A National Athletic Trainers' Association answered

  First, get far enough away from the snake so it cannot attack you again.
  
  Second, call 911 and get help. If this is not possible, move to an area where you can call or have someone drive you to the hospital.
  
  Third, do not elevate the injury. Keep it below the level of the heart. (This answer provided for NATA by the California University of Pennsylvania Athletic Training Education Program.)
• QHow can an insect sting lead to an emergency?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A Dr. Elif E. Oker, MD , Medical Toxicology, answered

  An insect sting ("bite") can lead to an emergency if there is an associated infection or allergic reaction. 

  Sometimes patients develop skin or wound infections as a result of the insect bite.  In other instances the infection occurs because the bite area has caused itching which has resulted in a break in the skin allowing bacteria to enter the wound. These infections can be treated with antibiotics.

  Allergic reactions resulting from insect bites are also possible. These may be local or systemic. Local reactions are isolated to the area of the bite. Systemic reactions are the most concerning, occurring throughout the body.  

  Anaphylaxis is an allergy emergency that requires immediate attention. Anaphalxis is a wide spread allergic reaction that causes difficulty breathing and low blood pressure. Without treatment anaphylaxis can result in death. 

  Persons who are severely allergic to insect bites are often prescribed an Epi pen in the event that they are bitten.

• QWhere are brown recluse spiders found?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A American Red Cross answered

  Brown recluse spiders prefer dark, out-of-the-way places. Examples of places where these spiders live include wood, rock, and brush piles or dark garages and attics. People often are bitten on their arms and hands when reaching into these places.
• QHow can a snake bite be prevented?

  1 Answer

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  A Dr. Tanya R. Altmann, MD , Pediatrics, answered

  A snake bite can hopefully be prevented by taking the following precautions:

  • Wear long pants, long socks and sturdy shoes or boots.
  • Keep an eye out for snakes or areas where snakes like to hide such as behind rocks, in holes and under steps or porches.
  • Don't reach into any areas you cannot see such a hole, under piles of leafs or into shrubbery.
  • Consider installing a snake fence around the perimeter of your yard.
  • Clear away any brush, shrubbery or wild flowers in your yard. Trim plants around the bottom so you can see the ground.
  • When at a park, don’t let your children wander into areas of brush or shrubbery, especially if you can't see the ground.
  • Stay on the path while hiking.
• QHow should I care for a bull rider who has been gored?

  1 Answer

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  A National Athletic Trainers' Association answered

  First make sure someone has contacted 911. Then make sure to hold direct pressure on the wound. Do not remove the pressure or lift the dressing once it is applied. (This answer provided for NATA by the California University of Pennsylvania Athletic Training Education Program.)
• QWhen is an insect sting an emergency?

  2 Answers

  A

  

  A American Red Cross answered

  Most of the time, insect stings are harmless. If the person is allergic, an insect sting can lead to anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition.

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