Spider Bite First Aid (Recluse Spiders, pg 2):

RECLUSE SPIDERS--The controversy (continued): Some doctors challenge the traditional view described on the previous page. They argue against certain traditional treatments for such wounds, particularly (1) administration of antibiotics without proof that an infection exists, and (2) indiscriminate debridement of necrotic tissue as a means of hastening wound healing.

Similarly, a number of distinguished entomologists and arachnologists are troubled by the tendency of medical professionals to automatically classify necrotic wounds of unknown etiology as recluse spider bites, arguing that the misdiagnosis of infections as spider bites is a common problem that leads to inappropriate patient care. Studies in the U.S. and abroad have shown that, absent firm proof that the wound was caused by a spider, the likelihood that it was actually caused by a spider is no greater than for any of a wide list of alternate causes, including infections secondary to animal bites or scratches, insect bites from fleas or mosquitoes, or nosocomial/community-associated MRSA (methicillin/multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus) acquired from a variety of sources.

These concerns are more than academic. Spider bites introduce an essentially sterile venom, albeit one that includes the enzymes sphingomyelinase-D and hyaluronidase, with a limited ability to produce chronic wound development. The value of antibiotics in the treatment of such wounds is questionable. Infections by microbials, though, reproduce in the patient's body, and often present as a constantly progressive disease and the application of antibiotics serves a primary role in treating such wounds. Treatment regimes for spider bites should, for this reason alone, differ from those applied to bacterial infections because, if these become confused by medical professionals responsible for wound care, the patient suffers. NEXT PAGE. Page Menu:  1  *  2  *  3  *  4  *  5  *  6  *  7  *  8  * 

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