coral catfish sting

[reefD]

ok this afternoon i was pricked by one of the dorsal barbs of this fish. i just did alot of research and found that i may be in trouble. I irrigated the area where i was pricked and cleaned well. in any case there is no pain currently after 5 hours. hopfully this is a good sign.
I was under the immpression that coral catfish are venemouse due to thier skin not thier fins but further research has frieghtened me.
currently no swelling
no allergic reactions
no pain
so hopfully im in the clear but i will keep a close eye on my finger and reasses in the am.
the barb didnt draw blood but did break the tissue and i felt that. almost like a splinter .
help any thoughts would make me feel better. again i feel fine currenly and my finger is not swollen at all 5 hours after getting stuck. :bum:

 

[jallard]

did you soak it in pickle juice yet?

 

[reefD]

no should I? i plan on calling my MD in the morning . does pickle juice help? all i read was to run it under hot water.

 

[partagas]

I heard monkey pee works also.........


LOL..... Had to

 

[reefD]

thanks for the comic relief partagas...i posted in another forum and now im freaked out! i will call my MD first thing in the am and advise him of the possible plototoxin thats in me! i guess what i should watch for is chest pain now. a small dose may just cause muscular damage in my finger, slowly but steadily........or maybe i wasnt even venomated and I am safe. all this talk is making me thing my finger hurts! LOL!

 

[jallard]

lol pickle juice....dill pickle juce, then suck the venom out

 

[Sk8r]

I looked this up on the web. The url is:
http://www.health-care-information.org/injuries/marine-stings.htm
It advocates hot water. If you have any symptoms that alarm you don't hold out for the doctor in the morning: get to an emergency room and write down the info you have.

 

[scorp1on]

How'd everything work out Dave? Hope your ok

 

[reefD]

Im ALIVE!!!! My finger is fine and i dont believe i was injected with much venom or any at all. I did treat with hot water for an hour or so. again no swealling or pain is noted at the spot of getting pricked. the area looks completely normal today. I feel fine no dizziness fever,etc. since i am in no alarming pain I will not take this any further. and i hope i dont drop dead any time soon or lose my finger...LOL! thanks guys

 

[reefD]

posted on another forum and got this info from an emt :

"It's not actually venom that's injected (like a rattlesnake), their barbs are covered in bacteria that sting like he!!. Having transported a few unlucky souls to the hospital after being hit with a catfish barb while fishing, about the only thing the ER does is exactly what you did. Remove the barb (if still in the skin), irrigate, wash with warm, soapy water, then apply an antibiotic ointment (Neosporine, etc.) I've had the unfortunate occurance of meeting the business end of a catfish barb, but I never had any problems other than the initial pain and redness. Just monitor the injury site, keep it clean and if things don't look right, go see the doctor. Good luck. "

 

[Ken668]

So then whey do all the sources I read say that they are actually toxic/venomous? Is it a bacteria that specifically hosts their barb? Is he maybe refering to just freshwater catfish?

 

[reefD]

the skin is poisonous (like if you ate it) the barbs are covered with bacteria. hurt really bad for a small fish. the catfish was only about an inch long.

 

[reefD]

kenn you may be right as other people on other thread commented about it. the catfish we are speaking of does secrete a toxin through its barbs. the thing is that some people are less effected by the toxin like with a bee sting. of course either way enough toxin is a bad thing but an allerigic reaction can be fatal. next the issue with the bacteria from the wound and toxin can become an issue. in any case im ok ...........wether the toxins that was injected in me wasnt alot or none at all ill never know for sure. but one thing is clear ...i am not allergic to the sting/barb as it did make clear penatration into my skin.