From warblers to sea urchins, from jellyfish to sponges, the waters of the Mediterranean Sea are home to a vast range of new organisms that can cause adverse reactions or even poisoning. Our sea changes due to climate change and with it its inhabitants. Therefore, even before patients, it is essential that doctors and all healthcare workers are immediately updated on the new dangers arriving from the seabed. For this reason, the multimedia course “Marine animals and organisms: dangers and remedies” is available on the Consulcesi Club platform, objective: to provide a timely and exhaustive update on the first aid techniques essential for intervening in cases of intoxication or trauma caused by vermocane and other marine animals widespread in the Mediterranean. The continuing medical education course is aimed at doctors, nurses and all healthcare professionals.
Within the course – a note reports – there are useful recommendations on how to behave, by Daniele Manno, Remote and Military Life Support instructor) and Professor Giuseppe Petrella, University of Rome Tor Vergata. These are the main indications on the dangers at the sea: if you come across a worm dog, whose venom causes burning, erythema, itching and numbness, it is necessary to remove bristles stuck in the skin, apply vinegar, ammonia or bicarbonate solutions, local anaesthetics, cortisone and antibiotics. In the case of jellyfish, the venom causes burning pain, widespread erythema and possible edema. Don’ts: rinse with fresh water, scrape, cover with ice, expose the skin to the sun and apply cortisone creams. On the contrary, you need to rinse with sea water, remove nematocysts and filaments with the back of a knife, use cooking vinegar, use aluminum chloride, use hot rocks or sand (jellyfish toxins are thermolabile).
Sea urchin spines can cause nodules, edema, scleroderma. In this case the treatment includes vinegar compresses, immersion in vinegar, surgery (in extreme cases) if the thorn fragments are deeply embedded, and a tetanus shot is also recommended. And again: the weever sting causes pain that can last for days, possible convulsions and syncope, erythema, edema and multiple bruising. The treatment – they explain from Consulcesi Club – consists of applying aluminum chloride, antibiotic coverage and tetanus prophylaxis are suggested. “It is important that healthcare professionals are also prepared and always up to date to best face these challenges with competence and safety, whether it is providing first aid after a jellyfish sting or diagnosing and treating poisoning from marine toxins – comments Daniele Manno, Remote and Military Life Support instructor in the new Consulcesi course – Furthermore, health professionals must be able to clearly communicate recommendations on how to behave in different scenarios to patients preparing to leave for holidays. Only in this way we can fully enjoy the wonders of the Mediterranean, in complete safety.”
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