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  #11  
Old 02-24-2008, 06:59 PM
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ricki ricki is offline
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How many folks remember or have every heard of "pungi sticks?" Back in the day, these sharpened sticks were dipped in aged poop, etc. to increase the virulence and severity of resulting injuries. Ok, in a stingray, the anal pore is situated just forward of the bony process or spike. The spike as a result has a frequently renewed coating of skate gut bacteria and whatever else might happen along to get mixed into the mucous covered elasmobranch "pungi stick." Unlike the bamboo variety the skate version is brittle and prone to fragmenting. So in your undoctored wound you may have embedded fragments liberally coated with skate gut saute.

If you read that article you will see something about "aggressive" antibiotic treatment. This doesn't imply a good dosing with Neosporen or even taking a mild antibiotic orally. They mean something more potent and aggressive. I can recall a lady windsurfer going to the ER in the Melbourne area sometime back. I think she just got some oral antibiotic. She had a lingering infection impacting muscles in her leg for about five months. It was later concluded she didn't receive an appropriate course of antibiotic treatment.

It may not become severely infected after all, some do however. So, trust to a liberally dosing of Lux soap and warm water if you feel optimistic or have it looked at and receive some appropriate medication.

You're welcome Scott. I hadn't seen the article before. It was written after Steve Irwin's accident.

Good luck
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Last edited by admin; 02-25-2008 at 01:26 PM.
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  #12  
Old 02-24-2008, 07:00 PM
jim jim is offline
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hot=inflammation which in this case likely means infection. Id think about seeing the doctor. i
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  #13  
Old 02-24-2008, 08:21 PM
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LSUkiter LSUkiter is offline
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Disclaimer- I am a Veterinarian, not an MD so take my advice with a grain of salt(not that you haven't already gotten a bunch of good advice)

Stingrays are of a family of marine animal known as Chondrichthyeans which means they are 100% cartilaginous. They, and they're stinger contains no bone. The stinger is cartilage, which is worse, because as it hits and is pulled out(which is most often the case in accidental stingings of humans), small pieces of the cartilage can be left under the skin. If this happens, you're looking at long-term pain until it is either broken down by your body, rejected and ejected by your body, or flushed out by the ER doc. As you've been told, the barb is coated with slime, which is a natural irritant, but which also allows bacteria to stick to it. The slime is a proteinaceous material, which is why the old fisherman's trick of dunking it in hot water may help. Heat denatures protein. Also, the heat of the water, may kill certain bacteria(by no means not even close to all bacteria).

If seen by an MD, they would likely give you a tetanus shot, eventhough it's not really needed. Tetanus(lockjaw) is caused by the bacteria Clostridium tetani, which does not live in saltwater. The bacteria is a soil contaminant that lives on anything on land, hence you get a shot if you step on a nail. Most Drs give you the shot even if not really needed if you haven't had one in 10 years to cover their asses, and cause all its going to hurt is your arm.
What you do need to worry about is other bacteria. Coliforms(E. coli) and its friends are the ones you'd most likely be infected by. Although rare, a very serious infection would be Vibriosis, which is what makes you sick when you eat bad oysters. If injected, it can cause gangrene, or blood-borne infection(sepsis). Of course there's plenty of other bacteria that could also infect. You'd likely get Rxd plain old Amoxillin or maybe Cipro depending on how likely the Dr thought serious infection was.
The redness and heat you're feeling is likely just inflammation, which is not a big deal. But, it COULD also mean infection which is bad. You could take advil or aleve, and watch it, or even soak it in warm water and epsom salts to alleviate inflammation. What you really SHOULD do is go to the Dr as everyone else suggested, cause the last thing you need is to be layed up for weeks cause you need surgery to remove infected tissue.
I hate going to the Dr, and often just treat myself since I have access to antibiotics, but if this would have happened to me, I would have been in the ER that nite getting it flushed out heavily, and getting the right antibiotics.
Sorry for such a long post and the unsolicited advice, but I thought a good explanation may get you to the Dr.
Hope it heals quickly, and try to lay off the Steve Irwin impersonations in the future(was that joke in bad taste?). Good Luck
Richard
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  #14  
Old 02-24-2008, 09:14 PM
Chad085 Chad085 is offline
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good info dude!!! even if you had NO idea what you were talking about you used enough big words to make it sound totally legit!!!! LOL Seriously though it's good to know these things since stingray "stings" are pretty common. I was bit by a brown reclouse spider a few years ago and then ended up with a MRSA staph infection in the bite. So take everyone's advice jason and get it checked out cuz infections are no joke!!! hopefully its no big deal and you'll be able to score this week's cold front
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  #15  
Old 02-24-2008, 09:35 PM
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This is good stuff, I am glad so many people had info about it... Thanks

Yea I guess i will go to the dr tomorrow just to be safe...

Hey upon further inspection of my foot, I can see that it actually got me twice... Once in the heel (bad one) and once in the center of my foot...

Thanks for all your imput.. U guys rock...
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  #16  
Old 02-25-2008, 01:06 PM
WindRyder WindRyder is offline
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Go to the doctor, a walk in clinic will do. Don't want to mess with that, especially as it could infect the bone!!
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  #17  
Old 02-25-2008, 02:18 PM
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kite-4-life kite-4-life is offline
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Jason, I know what you need for your birthday...When is it, and what size do you wear?
Get well soon my brutha!
Booties ROCK!
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  #18  
Old 02-25-2008, 03:36 PM
<jason
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Thumbs up thanks Steve..

Im down for that....!

But dont worry its not till july4.... (10-1/2's)
Ill be 30...!!!!!!! Wow I feel like an old man

Although with the beatings ive been taking on the water recently, I guess im glad im not any older...

~all booties rock...
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  #19  
Old 02-25-2008, 07:33 PM
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kite-4-life kite-4-life is offline
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Just messin with ya bra, I dont think booties would have totally saved you, but may have helped a little. I have generally always worn booties and still got a few MINOR scrapes/cuts. If I didnt have booties I would have had a couple of nasty ones. I have definitely stepped on rays and other moving things but hadnt caught the barb before. The soles come in thick, thin, narrow or wide, but my personal favorites are the brown ones...
Brown Booties ROCK!
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  #20  
Old 02-25-2008, 08:27 PM
<jason
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yea i know........

the rangers said booties would not have helped... well not unless their made of steel....

It will surley teach me to stay on my board from now on ..
;-)
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