Common First Aid You have for Bites As Tarantula Keeper

[Matt Man]

considering I've never been bitten in 15 plus years......I have standard first aid, things to use to cleanse and hopefully disinfect the wound, bandages and Benadryl in case there is some form of allergic reaction. If it gets bad I can call
my daughter who could bring over an epi pen

 

[Wolfram1]

Deep wound channels close up rapidly, which is why a simple disinfectant is often not enough. The wound needs to be cleaned and disinfected properly.

Cat bites are dangerous because of this reason, and should be treated by a professional, T bites that don't just scrach the surface should be treated the same way cat bites are.

If disinfection fails antibiotics may be necessary to treat the infection. Sepsis is no joke.

 

[Matt Man]

Deep wound channels close up rapidly, which is why a simple disinfectant is often not enough. The wound needs to be cleaned and disinfected properly.

Cat bites are dangerous because of this reason, and should be treated by a professional, T bites that don't just scrach the surface should be treated the same way cat bites are.

If disinfection fails antibiotics may be necessary to treat the infection. Sepsis is no joke.

agreed. Deep punctures need deep cleaning

 

[The Snark]

Interesting but no need to go to the ER for that kind of long drawn-out procedure.

Nobody is suggesting a trip to the ER. And we don't use tooth brushes. We have sterile disposable plastic scrub brushes. The plan is flooding the wound with P-I and getting it as deep into the wound as possible. It is 99% kill and adheres to tissues which prevents pathogen reproduction.

You can easily kill bacteria immediately after being bit by pouring alcohol or hydrogen peroxide into the wound. Then rub the area with an alcohol wipe then bandage the wound, simple.

After a few tens of thousands of bacterial cultures the entire medical profession has chosen Povidone-Iodine as the disinfecting agent.
H2O2 rapidly turns into water on contact with organic material. Alcohol evaporates and below 60% concentration does not offer a 100% kill. Both are effective for minor surface abrasions and readily available pathogens but neither are used for deep wounds.

Deep wound channels close up rapidly, which is why a simple disinfectant is often not enough. The wound needs to be cleaned and disinfected properly.

agreed. Deep punctures need deep cleaning

As thoroughly as possible.

Cat bites are dangerous because of this reason, and should be treated by a professional,

Pasteurella Multocida put me in a hospital for 10 days and followed up with 6 weeks antibiotics IV. Found in the mouths of most cats, Every pathogen on any food source can be present on a spiders fangs. MRSA is very common now.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Nobody is suggesting a trip to the ER. And we don't use tooth brushes.


After a few tens of thousands of bacterial cultures the entire medical profession has chosen Povidone-Iodine as the disinfecting agent.
H2O2 rapidly turns into water on contact with organic material. Alcohol evaporates and below 60% concentration does not offer a 100% kill. Both are effective for minor surface abrasions and readily available pathogens but neither are used for deep wounds.

I can agree to disagree

Alcohol will kill most bacteria among other things.

Not trying to contradict you but you're going overboard on this one.

Having being bit by an arachnid and suffering from an infection myself the window of opportunity to sanitize is very narrow.

Also considering this happened during a time when most people did not have iodine in the medicine cabinet. Neither did sharing of mass information. No Internet no nothing you either went to the doctor or you didn't. Most injuries people just treated themselves with success.

It was common as kids playing around in areas where we were not observant of our surroundings and stepping on a nail that pierces deep if not all the way through the foot. I can tell you right now no one used iodine. Those wounds, worse than a tarantula's bite were treated with hydrogen peroxide and alcohol followed up with a trip to the doctor's for a Tetanus shot. That was all that was needed and we were back to normal in no time

I swear, if I received $1 for everytime a medical professional told me their diagnosis and treatment that they got wrong I be a millionaire by today. Now enters the millennials dominating the medical field and I be better off going to a third-world country for medical help than right here in the U.S.

That part is not directed at you just the medical field.

 

[The Snark]

I can agree to disagree

Whatever floats your boat. As a N.A. I followed the prescribed procedure.
And yes, the window is very small. Does that mean people shouldn't be bothered to treat wounds properly?

As for myself, why bother with half arse measures? Grab that P-I bottle and scrub the H out of any and all wounds. Use the alcohol for hands and to wipe down surfaces - and especially after handling filth like paper money. H2O2, 50% is saved for amusing chemical reactions when gunk plugs up drains.
Want some fun? Take a swab off the steering wheel of your car or a door knob and culture it. If that doesn't convince a person to go the proper sterilizer route and keep the alcohol bottles handy for their hands and wipe downs they are hopeless.

Paper money. Fact: A well worn and used dollar bill will usually provide a wider range of harmful pathogens than a turd in the toilet bowl.

Apologies for sounding fanatical but anyone who has had an infection that went systemic tends to err on the side of caution. I was fortunate in being able to run my own antibiotic IV at home. Probably saved myself $20,000 - $30,000.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

OMG!!! I never ever thought of the steering wheel.......

 

[The Snark]

thought of the steering wheel

Every bacterium a person comes in contact with will usually be found on the steering wheel of their vehicle.
A left over from my ambulance attendant days. I carry a bottle of alcohol in the door compartment of our car. After any visit to a public place I wet and wipe my hands, the steering wheel, gear shift, my keys and the door latches. Takes 30 seconds.

BTW, Povidone-Iodine creates a barrier against post incident contamination. Much broader spectrum than neosporin.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Now I'll be wiping down those in my car.