Spider Bite

[tova]

Question - can a spider bite (species unknown) cause a person to have fevers and feeling lethargic without the reaction from the bite being much larger than a .50 cent piece - especially if the bite occurred Sat. night/Sun. am? I know I have heard that if the redness starts to spread up the arm to get in but this hasn't - just itches and is tender to the touch.

Thanks-

 

[Centermass]

Probably just a hickey........

 

[Looon]

If you're not dead by now or your arm hasn't fallen off, you will live.:)

 

[Centermass]

j/k with ya.

Sounds to me like you're experiencing a normal reaction from a bite. If the bite area hasn't gotten any larger, and you're not producing a full blown fever, that's more than likely what it is.

 

[LibraryLady]

Question - can a spider bite (species unknown) cause a person to have fevers and feeling lethargic without the reaction from the bite being much larger than a .50 cent piece - especially if the bite occurred Sat. night/Sun. am? I know I have heard that if the redness starts to spread up the arm to get in but this hasn't - just itches and is tender to the touch.

Thanks-

Do you have a description of the perp? Verification it was indeed a spider?

LL

 

[tova]

I'm assuming it was a spider and yes, I am very feverish - and no, it is not a hickey

 

[LibraryLady]

Put a shout out to one of the medics, should be chiming in soon.

LL

 

[rangerpsych]

post a picture of the bite site

 

[Max Power]

Without anything else to go on, it sounds like a brown recluse type of reaction, based on seeing what bites like that did to a couple of buddies in basic. Go see a doc.

 

[x SF med]

Medic here-
describe the bite - the feverish, achy part could just be a cold. without a full description of the bite area - is it inflamed, dimpled, necrotic, hot to the touch, is there a center pustule, has it grown since the initial bite, yada yada yada... it's tough to say anything.

Max hit it on the head - when in doubt wit harachnids - see a doctor.

A Brown Rercluse bite can be treated easily early on - Tetracycline and good wound care... if you wait, not only tetracycline, but possible fasciotomies, definite debridement (and yes, some places are back to using maggots for that), and some of the side effects - like huge scars, muscle loss,and circulatory impairment are not fun.

*** this Public Service Announcement was brought to you by: Medics who like to scare the hell out of people that don't want to see a doctor ***

 

[HoundDog]

I - and no, it is not a hickey

If you ask nicely that can be corrected

 

[rangerpsych]

Medic here-
describe the bite - the feverish, achy part could just be a cold. without a full description of the bite area - is it inflamed, dimpled, necrotic, hot to the touch, is there a center pustule, has it grown since the initial bite, yada yada yada... it's tough to say anything.

Max hit it on the head - when in doubt wit harachnids - see a doctor.

A Brown Rercluse bite can be treated easily early on - Tetracycline and good wound care... if you wait, not only tetracycline, but possible fasciotomies, definite debridement (and yes, some places are back to using maggots for that), and some of the side effects - like huge scars, muscle loss,and circulatory impairment are not fun.

*** this Public Service Announcement was brought to you by: Medics who like to scare the hell out of people that don't want to see a doctor ***

bingo, exactly why I want to see a picture of the bite site, without being able to actually see it we can't tell you anything definitive, it's basically just carpetbombing vs precision guided munitions

go see a doctor

 

[Boondocksaint375]

*** this Public Service Announcement was brought to you by: Medics who like to scare the hell out of people that don't want to see a doctor ***

seriously, you should open up your own online evaluation clinic.

 

[x SF med]

seriously, you should open up your own online evaluation clinic.

I am not a qualified psychological professional - you are on your own bro, sorry. Now, go see a doctor.

 

[rangerpsych]

do you realize exactly how many weird people we'd interact with as medics, if we had an online examination clinic?

Plus, with no PA to be able to kick issues between the navel and knees to, I would be forced to deal with it, and I refuse... you put it in the problem, now it's your problem.

 

[Mav]

Having almost lost half my leg to a spider in Afghanistan:

Go see a damned medic.

I went four days doing the "oh, it'll go away". By day four, the volanic mount of purply dead skin and the inability to bend or straighten my leg, forced my hand.

I was informed, after the "emergency" lancing, in which they shot me with barely enough analgesic to knock the damned spider, itself, out and sliced a huge "snow cone" of my skin out (it was over 1" deep, btw)... that had I waited say a day later, I would have lost my lower leg.

DOn't wait. :)

 

[Mav]

Did I mention the green gooey stuff that they scooped out of my leg with one of those Melon Scooper lookin things? Oooo yeeeaahhh, baby. THe entire CSH was standing around me going: "Holy Crap, I didn't know that could happen.." and "Wow, that's so gross, but I can't stop looking."

And they walked my 1" around (on the top) by 1" in deep hunk of poisoned flesh, right in front of my face, on a piece of paper (all they had, at the time). It was gross, I remember it to this day.

Objectively, it was really cool.

Subjectively, it sucked ass.

Oh, and the scar sucks. :S

 

[Chopstick]

Has anyone heard from Tova lately?:uhh::eek:

 

[tova]

Been to the doc's - am on antibiotics (not tetracycline as am very allergic to the myacin family) - it is hot to the touch, somewhat puckered in the center - which is more white, the outer area reddish - no larger than before - no real signs of other causes of infection so am to go back later this week to have it checked again (unless my fever increases) then I get my ass in asap!

Thanks to everyone for the info-

 

[AWP]

Been to the doc's -

Good! Keep us posted.