Brown Recluse Spider Bite
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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:
A brown recluse spider bite is a small wound that you get from being bitten by a brown recluse spider, also called a fiddle back spider. They live in the central and southern parts of the United States and are active from April to October. You may be bitten while asleep and have no signs or symptoms at first. Later you may get pain, swelling, redness, and itchiness in the area of the bite. If the bite gets worse, you may have discharge from it or tissue death and loss in the bite area. Your caregiver may do blood tests and tests on the bite wound. Your wound may worsen and you may get medicines, such as antibiotics, steroids, anti-allergies, or anti-venom. You may need surgery to remove the damaged tissues in the wound. Early diagnosis and treatment may help prevent your wound from getting worse or you becoming more sick. Knowing what these spider look like and where they hide may help keep you from being bitten.
CARE AGREEMENT:
You have the right to help plan your care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. You can then discuss treatment options with your caregivers. Work with them to decide what care may be used to treat you. You always have the right to refuse treatment.
RISKS:
Treatment for a brown recluse spider bite may bring side effects. Medicines may cause nausea (upset stomach) or vomiting (throwing up). You may have sore throat, or your skin may become pale or yellowish. You may develop soreness, redness, or swelling in the muscle where the tetanus shot was given. Even with treatment, your wound may become worse, or you may get very sick from having the poison in your body. Untreated spider bites may lead to more serious problems, such as swelling and infections. Severe swelling may cause blood supply problems in the area. Infection may spread to other parts of your body and may become life-threatening. People who have diabetes, blood supply problems, or have decreased ability to fight infection are at a higher risk of problems. Ask your caregiver if you are worried or have questions about your condition, treatment or care.
WHILE YOU ARE HERE:
Informed consent: You have the right to understand your health condition in words that you know. You should be told what tests, treatments, or procedures may be done to treat your condition. Your doctor should also tell you about the risks and benefits of each treatment. You may be asked to sign a consent form that gives caregivers permission to do certain tests, treatments, or procedures. If you are unable to give your consent, someone who has permission can sign this form for you. A consent form is a legal piece of paper that tells exactly what will be done to you. Before giving your consent, make sure all your questions have been answered so that you understand what may happen.
IV: An IV is a tube placed in your vein for giving medicine or liquids. This tube is capped or connected to tubing and liquid.
Medicines: Your caregiver may give you the following kinds of medicines:
- Antibiotics: Antibiotics may be given to help treat or prevent an infection caused by germs called bacteria.
- Antihistamines: This medicine may be given to help decrease itching.
- Anti-venom: Anti-venom may be given to help fight the poison that you received. Ask your caregiver for more information on anti-venom medicine.
- Steroids: Steroid medicine may be given to decrease inflammation, which is redness, pain, and swelling.
- Medicines for pain, swelling, or fever: You may be given medicines to treat pain, swelling, or fever while you are in the hospital. These medicines are safe for most people to use. However, they can cause serious problems when used by people with certain medical conditions. Tell caregivers if you have liver or kidney disease, a history of bleeding in your stomach, or any other medical problems. Also tell your caregiver about any allergies you have to medicines. Tell your caregiver about all other medicines, herbs, and supplements that you have taken lately.
- Tetanus shot: This is medicine to keep you from getting tetanus. It is given as a shot. You should have a tetanus shot if you have not had one in the past 5 to 10 years. Your arm can get red, swollen, and sore after getting this shot.
Tests:
- Blood tests: You may need blood taken for tests. The blood can be taken from a blood vessel in your hand, arm, or the bend in your elbow. It is tested to see how your body is doing. It can give your caregivers more information about your health condition. You may need to have blood drawn more than once.
- Urine test: A sample of your urine is collected and sent to a lab for tests.
- Wound culture: This is a test to grow and identify the germs that may be in your wound. This helps caregivers learn what kind of infection you have and what medicine is best to treat it.
Treatment options: You may have any of the following:
- Surgery: This is done if the damaged tissue around your wound becomes large and needs to be removed. Cleaning and removing dead tissues may help the wound to heal faster. Ask your caregiver for more information about selective methods of debridement (removing dead tissue).
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: This is also called HBO. HBO is used to get more oxygen into your body. The oxygen is given under pressure to help it get into your tissues and blood. You may be put into a tube-like chamber called a hyperbaric or pressure chamber. You will be able to see your caregivers and talk with them through a speaker. You may need to have this therapy more than once.
Copyright © 2008 Thomson Healthcare Inc. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.
The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.
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