Bites and Stings

During the warm weather season’s our children are probably outside more than they are inside which exposes them to bugs, insects, and animals that puts them at risk for bites and stings. Of course, we don’t want this to make us fearful of letting them play outside, but knowing how to treat a bug bite or a sting will give us the most comfort.

	Bite	Sting	What to do immediately
Flying ants	X		Wash bitten area with soap and water, take antihistamine like Benadryl.
Bees/Hornets/Wasps		X	Remove stinger by sliding credit card against it if needed. Don’t use tweezers as this may break the stinger or inject more venom. Apply ice to area and administer Tylenol or ibuprofen to start controlling the pain.
Dogs	X		Control bleeding and elevate area if needed. Go to hospital if it is deep bite requiring stitches. Once bleeding stops wash with soap and water and then run area under water for several minutes to wash away bacteria.
Spiders	X		Wash with soap and water. If brown recluse or black widow bite is suspected, call MD. Apply ice pack and administer Tylenol or Ibuprofen to start controlling the pain.
Mosquitos	X		Wash with soap and water and try not to scratch it as it may spread the area of itch.
Snakes	X		If you KNOW the snake isn’t venomous then apply pressure to site if it is bleeding. Once bleeding has stopped, wash with soap and warm water. If you know the snake IS VENOMOUS, CALL 911
Scorpions		X	Apply ice to the sting and notify your pediatrician immediately. If you can, try to identify the scorpion so that you will be able to let the doctor know what kind of scorpion stung you. This will make it easier to treat.

If you go to the doctor you may receive medication for treatment of the bite or sting and the doctor will give you direction on how to treat the wound and precautions to watch for and report.

If at home:

-Watch for any increased redness or swelling

-Watch for signs and symptoms of infection such as:

                *Green or yellow drainage from site

                *Warmth

                *Increased pain

If you notice any of these findings, you should notify the doctor. If you don’t notice any of these findings, you should be able to continue to treat the bite or sting at home with Tylenol, ibuprofen, and/or Benadryl.  Make sure to follow the directions on the bottle on the dosing and if your child is under 2 years old, make a phone call to your doctor to ask about the correct dose and frequency.

For more information, please visit http://firstaid.webmd.com/tc/insect-bites-and-stings-and-spider-bites-topic-overview