Bites and stings

What should you do if you or someone you care for gets a bite or sting from an animal or insect???

Dangerous animals include:

• Spiders
• Snakes
• Ticks
• Scorpions and centipedes
• Bees
• Wasps
• Blue bottle jellyfish
• Sharks
• Land animals
• Rodents
• Domestic cats or dogs

 Different types of bites require different types of treatment.

Remember that different countries and regions have different dangerous animals. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the wildlife species where you are living and working as an au pair.

In general, it is best to immobilize and bandage the bite area until medical treatment is available.

Apply firm pressure to spider, snake, octopus or blue bottle bites and stings.

Remove bee stingers by sliding a fingernail or credit card over the stinger.

Remove ticks embedded in the skin with tweezers and keep the insect to show to medical professionals.Try to get specific information about how to treat the kind of bite you are dealing with.

Here is what to do:

If someone you are with is bitten by an animal or insect that you know is poisonous seek medical attention immediately.

• Call for an ambulance in an emergency situation.
• Bandage the wound and keep the person immobile until medical help arrives.
• Don’t cut or compress the wound – focus instead on keeping the person calm and reassured.
• If the person collapses or stops breathing, you may need to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) until medical help arrives. More information on CPR is in another section of the Sitter Train online course.
• If you can – and it’s safe to do so – capture the animal or insect for identification purposes, in case anti-venom is required.  If this is difficult, dangerous, or impossible, don’t risk your own safety doing so.  Focus instead on calming the patient.

First aid for bites and stings

Video provided courtesy of Premium Health