Centipede bite

Skin | Emergency Medicine | Centipede bite (Disease)


Description

The sting of a centipede bite is usually harmless to humans and symptoms are brief, lasting only a few hours. However, the larger the specimen, the greater the pain will be.

Symptoms which are most likely to develop include: severe pain, which is usually in proportion to the size of the centipede; swelling and redness; swollen, painful lymph nodes in the regions of the bitten limb; headache; palpitations or a racing pulse; nausea and vomiting; anxiety; local itching and burning sensations. In addition to the bite, you might also experience small puncture wounds, laced with blister-causing venom, in the tracks where the clawed centipede crawled across your skin.

Causes and Risk factors

A centipede bite is an injury that results from the action of a centipedes forcipules, pincer-like appendages that injects venom into the wound by piercing the skin.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Treatment involves cleaning the wound with an antiseptic soap and water, hot compress for reduction of the pain, ice in case of swelling and sometimes antibiotics are used to keep the wound itself from becoming infected or necrotic. Painkillers as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, antihistamines and anti-anxiety medications can be prescribed in pain relief. A Tetanus vaccine can also be necessary.

Children, allergic patients and elderly personal are subject to severe reaction of Centipede bites and they represent medical emergency. ...