My first stonefish/demon stinger incident... ouch ouch

[DevonDiver]

The hot water worked really really well - pain is down a constant 2/10 now. On my scale, that's like a moderate sprain. (feels like each of the finger joints has been bent backwards earlier). Some slight stiffness in the joints too... but mobility is ok for some basic use. It's a little bit numb, but I have sensation.

Only localized pain... no other systemic symptoms (which could have included, respiratory distress, nausea, fainting, fever, delirium etc).

No doubt about envenomation when I got stung... the pain earlier was akin to a red hot soldering iron being pressed into my finger and having someone park a large car on it also.

Pain started within 1 minute (during ascent) and was sufficient to make me abort safety stop. The intensity of pain really developed during the 20 minute speedboat run back to the dive centre. That was teeth-clenching time. Dive team here are great (diving with Johan's in Subic).. and hot water was immediately produced. That brought rapid relief from the high intensity pain, but I still experienced surging intense pain, along with continual strong ache. Over 2 hours the pain decreased gradually. After 4 hours of hot water immersion, it reached current levels. Water was kept constantly hot... topped up with a mugful straight from the water heater every 10 minutes.

How sad am I? On the boat ride back... I was thinking "hmmm... this'll make an interesting blog article". LOL

 

[Hawkwood]

That is a nasty looking little beast. In my class yesterday someone asked what creature I was most afraid of. I have a contender!

 

[DevonDiver]

Nah.... not in an ocean that contains Irukandji Jellyfish.

Stonefish are a bee sting compared to that.

Most lethal killer in the sea:

 

[E-diver]

DD I always enjoy the tone and content of what always seem to be well thought out posts. Very sorry to hear about your stonefish encounter, but glad am glad to hear the hot water seems to have done the trick for you. Out of curiosity where you wearing gloves when this happened and if not do you think they would have helped?


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[Duke Dive Medicine]

Andy, thanks for sharing, glad the hot water did the trick.

 

[DevonDiver]

Out of curiosity where you wearing gloves when this happened and if not do you think they would have helped?

I was wearing gloves.. just mesh backed tropical ones though. It got me in the back of the finger... but no surprises that the spine penetrated through that.

To be honest, I'd expect it to go through most gloves that weren't otherwise rated as being resistant to needles (most dive gloves aren't). I've had a crown-of-thorns starfish (not nearly as sharp as the stonefish spines) go straight through a 3mm glove. That surprised me, because I thought crown-of-thorns seemed quite 'blunt'. Lesson was learned way back then... don't underestimate how sharp those spines can be... think 'surgical'.

The funniest thing about it.... was helping a friendly local dive operator out because they have a big party of Chinese fun divers for the week (yep..experience really counts with that.. if you know what I mean, you know what I mean). On the last dive of the week... having performed 6 rescues/interventions and worked my arse off in the water to keep things safe.... we were going to a tranquil, shallow and good viz site. After days of frantic shepherding on deep, murky wrecks... my last comment before leaving was "Hey, it's only the San Quentin wreck...what can go wrong?" ha ha ha

Tempted fate.... arse duly bitten.

 

[DevonDiver]

Andy, thanks for sharing, glad the hot water did the trick.

I was shocked (read almighty relieved) at the effectiveness. Envenomation +20 mins and it was high on the pain scale. I was really prepared for the worst. I'm actually typing with that hand now (9 hours later).

 

[DocVikingo]

1 hour since the sting and have been broiling my hand in hot water since getting to shore....Immersion in hot water (60celcius or above) is providing some relief and is the approved first aid.

Bummer, Andy. Glad it's responding to treatment.

Yes, hot water is recommended as the 1st and primary line of treatment and should be long continued in 10-20 minute sessions. However, "broiling" the affected area/"the hotter the better"/water above 60 Celcius is not as this can result in termal burns to the skin.

45 degrees Celsius or a bit more is where an envenomated diver wants to be, e.g., Divers Alert Network, Medscape: Medscape Access

Keep on improving.

Regards,

DocV

 

[DevonDiver]

I think I must have quite fireproof hands... seems that way when I wash dishes with very hot water. Got a tad of sunburn anyway, as the canopy was off the speedboat.. so it just balanced out the redness on one hand, because I was wearing gloves.

Provided burns aren't caused... hotter is better though? In respect of de-naturing the venom? Or is there actually some benefits to cooler temperatures?

I had my hand in the water for nearly 4 hours... constantly maintaining temperature by 'topping off' the bowl slowly with mugfuls of water straight from the coffee maker/water heater.



Here's what I was reading on the subject today:

Rapidly progressive necrotising fasciitis following a stonefish sting: a report of two cases

Spines! - Divers Alert Network

Stonefish envenomation presenting to a Singapore hospital

Stonefish sting - Androscoggin Valley Hospital

Clinical Aspects of Envenomation by Marine Animals

 

[DandyDon]

Research is great, but can you get to a good doctor wherever you are?