Spider bitten patient may lose his leg

[lemonjelly]

The Thai health worker is taking a picture of this poor guy's face suffering but he is not interested in showing the spider type or attending to the leg.

You mean the guy with the blue tee shirt and track suit who doesn't look anything like a nurse or doctor should be "attending' to the boy's leg eventhough a doctor has already "attended" to said leg, or you think maybe the janitor hooked the kid up to the I.V.......

[realenglish1]

Stupid Family and this guy is losing a leg because of it

Of course they will sit around and look at each other and point fingers Education is a big problem in Thailand This is one example of what can happen with lack of education

If I was bitten by a spider my first move would be to go to the hospital.

[WonnabeBiker]

Misleading headline, it should read: Man may lose leg because of stupidity of family members and lack of common sense.

Lost as I understood it had to be amputated?!?

Had a scary encounter with a phony "nurse" at my school. A glass splinter was lodged in my big toe. Instead of buying hydrogen peroxide and iodine and let my wife take it out, I thought to save 20 Baht and let "a professional" do it. The woman brought big pliers and squeezed the glass deep down, instead of making a small incision and take it out.

When I later told my irritation about this with my boss, I learned that she was the janitor. WTH?!?

The glass has been buried deep in my tow and I'm scared to go to a clinic as the episode gave me nightmares.

Can someone please share some tips on cleaning wounds properly? How about breaking down the poison - would HEAT help, as with bee stings? (Very hot water instead of ice)? Would orally sucking out the poison help? (Not sure if that would be dangerous to the helper and work at all)

Edited July 20, 2014 by metisdead
Oversize font reset to normal.

[cobra]

lets cut of his leg, just to be sure... both bites would normally not be deadly in the first place

Agree,

Untreated infection acerbated his condition due to delaying proper medical treatment,

very unfortunate.

[pitchag]

I had some mystery insect bite which I didn't really notice until it eventually led to infection and a swelling the size of a ten baht coin. The hospital ended up cutting out a spoonfull of infected flesh and I had to return each day to change the dressing. There were no stitches required. It healed up nicely with a tiny scar.

Then recently I got another bite which I saw leading to the previous condition and started to self medicate with antibiotics. When it didn't get better I swallowed my pride and went back to the hospital where they gave me the right meds. Luckily it healed nicely and the swelling went away.

Lessons learned. With these pain in the ass mystery insect bites, go straight to the doctor.

I had the same thing in Nakhon Sawon on my calf the Doc cut into it to release the pus and packed it with antibiotic gauze had to go back every day for a week for them to scrape out the wound it was bloody painful but it worked and healed nicely, if it happens again I will not leave it so long to get treated

[doremifasol]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I am very sorry for the man, what an unfortunate ordeal!!!!

Would like to suggest to the readers to always keep a

bottle of "Activated Charcoal Powder" in their medicine cabinet

and first aid kit. It is also known as Activated carbon.

it is tasteless, odorless and non-toxic, could be be administered to pets as well.

I bought mine here in Thailand and always keep it on hand,

over the years used it for insect bites, snake bites, food poisoning, allergic reactions and so on.

Best quality I have found is made from coconut shells or bamboo.

"It is used around the world as a universal antidote for hundreds of poisons, including arsenic,

mercury, pesticides, strychnine, warfarin, hemlock, E. Coli endotoxin, and gasoline.

Over 4,000 chemicals, drugs, plant and microbial toxins, allergens, venoms, and wastes

are effectively neutralized by activated charcoal, when it is given in sufficient quantities.

Activated charcoal is also an effective detox for practically any drug overdose if administered in time.

It counteracts ingested aspirin, barbiturates, Prozac, paracetamol (Tylenol), phenobarbital,

amphetamines, cocaine, morphine, opium, and the list continues endlessly".

Some Other Uses

• Colon cleanse: activated charcoal binds intestinal toxins and unfriendly microbial growth and helps the body excrete them.
• Eliminates diarrhea, gas, and bloating.
• Prevents hangovers: hangovers are usually caused by the chemical toxins put into beverages, and are not usually the result of alcohol consumption.
• Neutralizes food poisoning.
• Neutralizes venomous bites (for instance the brown recluse spider bite) - taken both internally and externally.
• Toothache pain - make into a paste around the tooth
• Acne treatment
• ​Teeth whitener

​Activated charcoal is NOT the same thing as the ashes from burning wood or other fires at home, so please don't try to use those type of ashes for these or any other uses!

Please read more here about use, exceptions and risks :

http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/101-essential-first-aid-item-activated-carbon.html

P.S: No information on this post should be construed as medical advice.

[tifino]

the 'black widow' aka 'redback, have the hourglass under their belly,

but the Recluse 'violin' - isn't that on their back? if, so then how could they be confused for each other?

[tomyummer]

I had some mystery insect bite which I didn't really notice until it eventually led to infection and a swelling the size of a ten baht coin. The hospital ended up cutting out a spoonfull of infected flesh and I had to return each day to change the dressing. There were no stitches required. It healed up nicely with a tiny scar.

Then recently I got another bite which I saw leading to the previous condition and started to self medicate with antibiotics. When it didn't get better I swallowed my pride and went back to the hospital where they gave me the right meds. Luckily it healed nicely and the swelling went away.

Lessons learned. With these pain in the ass mystery insect bites, go straight to the doctor.

I had the same thing in Nakhon Sawon on my calf the Doc cut into it to release the pus and packed it with antibiotic gauze had to go back every day for a week for them to scrape out the wound it was bloody painful but it worked and healed nicely, if it happens again I will not leave it so long to get treated

I was lucky because my bad one was on my arm, but it sounds exactly like the same thing I had. No stitches, just gauze plugging the hole with antiseptics each day like yours.

[Jonmarleesco]

Numerous contradictions and errors: the patient first '... might have his leg amputated ...', then '... the medical team had no choice but to amputate ...';

Both spiders, according to NG, inhabit a far larger area of the globe than just the Americas, particularly tarantulas. And whilst, also according to NG, the black widow's bite can kill humans, it rarely does; though I doubt the victim will be much consoled by either of those titbits

As for identifying the difference: apart from the fact that I, for one, would be looking to open the distance, not close it ... tarantulas are around four to five times bigger than black widows.

[wilcopops]

I read somewhere that the offending spider was a brown recluse....... I think thus is extremely unlikely....they are seldom found outsidebtheir home area in the US let alone abroad. .....and then their bite isn't necessarily that serious.

It sounds to me that the bite, from whatever animal, was left untreated and a bacterial infection has set in that the hospital has mismanaged.

The brown recluse is easily identified NOT by the fiddle back- many spiders have that _ but by the fact it has only 6 eyes.....I have seen no mention of that feature.

Not a tarantula either....more likely a centipede.

Edited July 20, 2014 by wilcopops

[JacChang]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

It's shameful to admit, but big spiders just give me the willies. Little cute ones don't bother me, but the ones that are so big you can hear them when move just creep me out.

I got on my motorbike one day and had been riding for about 2mins and looked down at the speedo area and there was a huge (hand size) thick bodied spider sitting there, it was similar to a tarantula type shape but longer legs and was multi shaded instead of all brown, I stopped the bike and brushed at it with my hand and it literally lept to the ground and ran off lightning speed - that thing was fast

Now I always check inside my helmet before putting it on

I would have jumped backwards, and watched my motorbike continue to charge forward.

If true, this is very bad news for Thailand. It's one of the things I was relieved not to need to worry about from back home. These spiders usually find their way into bed sheets or clothes put in hampers and bite you that way. I always used to shake out my bed everyday back in Texas to be sure nothing was there. Hope they don't adapt to a tropical habitat well.

I could never feel secure if I know there is one in my room. Gotta rip through the whole room, and kill it. Wonder if there are any inventions to effectively ward them off. I heard there is those gadgets you plug in, and it makes a soundwave to annoy spiders and mosquitos away your perimeter.

Now this is probably my worst nightmare. I absolutely hate spiders. Brrr, I'm getting goosebumps just thinking of them.

HAHA, my skin feels tingly. Checking under my table to see if there are any.

[wilcopops]

the 'black widow' aka 'redback, have the hourglass under their belly,

but the Recluse 'violin' - isn't that on their back? if, so then how could they be confused for each other?

Not how you ID spiders...many look similar and species have huge variations...see above for ID of recluse.

Edited July 20, 2014 by wilcopops

[cobra]

... As for identifying the difference: apart from the fact that I, for one, would be looking to open the distance, not close it ... tarantulas are around four to five times bigger than black widows.

Agree,

When I encounter any spider my first instinct is not to attempt to identify it,

I prefer to let it go on it's way,

I assume the spider would prefer this also,

[wilcopops]

There are about 900 species of tarantula worldwide varying from enormous bird eating spiders to tiny things no bigger than a thumb nail. Very few are harmful to humans

[Strangebrew]

Infection in Asians countries is common reason of loss of limbs here.

[wilcopops]

Infection in Asians countries is common reason of loss of limbs here.

Infection yes....spider bites? NO!

This all sounds like people trying to explain their way around or out of a series of medical blunders.

It's a question of "causality" versus "association"

Edited July 21, 2014 by wilcopops

[worzel]

Ps the worst bite you can get is from a fello human

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[thaibeachlovers]

Misleading headline, it should read: Man may lose leg because of stupidity of family members and lack of common sense.

Lost as I understood it had to be amputated?!?

Had a scary encounter with a phony "nurse" at my school. A glass splinter was lodged in my big toe. Instead of buying hydrogen peroxide and iodine and let my wife take it out, I thought to save 20 Baht and let "a professional" do it. The woman brought big pliers and squeezed the glass deep down, instead of making a small incision and take it out.

When I later told my irritation about this with my boss, I learned that she was the janitor. WTH?!?

The glass has been buried deep in my tow and I'm scared to go to a clinic as the episode gave me nightmares.

Can someone please share some tips on cleaning wounds properly? How about breaking down the poison - would HEAT help, as with bee stings? (Very hot water instead of ice)? Would orally sucking out the poison help? (Not sure if that would be dangerous to the helper and work at all)

When I did my first aid course they told us NOT to suck out the poison.

However, all the info you seek is available with your friend google.

[featography]

The Brown Recluse isn't in Thailand, is it?

There are no Brown Recluse in Thailand, nor are there any Black Widows, but there are Brown Back Widows, twice as poisonous as the Black Widow. There is also a very poisonous Thai tarantula, small enough to be mistaken for any dark spider, docile looking, doesnt move much until agitated, then it is damn fast. The Brown Back Widow has an orange hour glass on its underside. The tarantula can be identified by its hairy legs. The Brown Back Widow originates in South Africa but has been probably accidentally transported in freight and luggage to all continents.

[tifino]

note to self:

next time to Thailand, must bring can(s) of ALDI Black Crawling Insect Spray.

Only stuff that downs even the toughest White Tail in less than a minute

[ginjag]

He did lose his leg --and another topic says he has since died. Mods why you not close this, he has friends and relatives etc ????