Venomous insect and animal bites can cause pain, swelling, and potentially life-threatening allergic reactions. The document provides guidance on first aid for various bites including bees/wasps, scorpions, mosquitoes, snakes, spiders, dogs, and humans. First aid typically involves cleaning the wound, applying ice, monitoring for infection or allergic reaction, and seeking prompt medical care for serious bites to prevent infection and treat with antivenom if needed. Rabies vaccination is important after bites from bats, foxes, raccoons or other potentially rabid wildlife.

1. Bites and Stings
Prepared By:
Zuhair Rushdi Mustafa
Lecturer at University of Duhok
College of Nursing

2. Insect stings and bites
# Venomous insects include honeybees,
hornet, wasp, fire ant.
# Bees are the only stinging insects that
leave their stingers and venom sacs behind.
# Stinger injects poison for 2-3 minutes
up to 20 minutes after sting.
19-2

3. Signs and Symptoms of stings
1. Localized pain
2. Itching
3. Swelling
4. Allergic reaction occurs.
5. If not treated, sever allergic reaction occur which
leads to anaphylactic shock. This will be a life
threatening, possible death in 30 seconds to 30
minutes.

4. First Aid for Bee and Wasp Stings
1. Clean injury:
Remove stinger and venom sac
by scraping with a hard object
such as a long fingernail, credit
or ID card, scissor edge, or knife. Do not use tweezers
or forcep because you could squeeze the stinger
and inject more poison into the casualty.

5. 2. Wash or rinse all bites area with
soap and water for 5-10 minutes.
3. Raise the affected part if possible
4. Cool area:
Apply an ice pack over the sting site
for at least 10 minutes to slow
absorption of the venom,
relieve pain and to reduce swelling.

6. 5. Tell the causality to seek medical advice if the pain
and swelling persist.
6. Monitor vital signs—level of response, breathing,
and pulse.
7. Watch for signs of an allergic reaction, such as
wheezing and/or reddened, swollen, itchy skin..
Monitor for at least 30 minutes and call 122 if a
severe allergic reaction develops. Watch for delayed
allergic reaction (possibly the next day)

7. 8. Assist with Medication:
Hydrocortisone, analgesic or antihistamine,
epinephrine if prescribed.
Treatment of anaphylactic:
a. Give Epinephrine (Adrenalin) injection
b. Re-inject after 15 minutes if necessary

8. Scorpion Stings
Thousands occur each year
but few are emergencies
Most scorpions are not venomous
Since it is hard to distinguish poisonous scorpions
from the non-poisonous scorpions, all scorpion
stings should be treated as medical emergencies.
 Seek urgent care for child or elderly person

9. How to avoid Scorpion Stings
Scorpions live in dry regions and are most active at
night, which is when most stings occur.
1.Avoid by not walking barefoot or in sandals.
2. Shaking out clothing/shoes before use.

10. Sings and symptoms
1. Severe immediate pain and burning in the
area of the bite.
2. Numbness or tingling develop.
3. Muscle cramping or abdominal pain.
4. Trouble breathing or swallowing

11. First aid for Scorpion Stings
1. Wash area with water and soap for 5-10 minutes.
2. Raise the affected part if possible
3. Apply an ice pack over the sting for at least 10
minutes site to slow absorption of the venom, relieve
pain and to reduce swelling.
4. Monitor vital sings especially
breathing
5. Call 122 if problem breathing or other severe
symptoms occur.
6. be prepared to give CPR if needed.

12. Mosquito Bites
Carry many diseases:
1. Malaria
2. Yellow fever
3. Encephalitis
First aid for Mosquito Bites
1. Wash area with water and soap
for 5-10 minutes.
2. Apply ice pack on site of bite
3. Use Antihistamine drug if available
such as Allarmin.

13. Snakebites
1. 7,000 to 8,000 venomous snake bites occur each year
2. Alcohol use often involved
3. Treat all bites as poisonous
4. Antivenin available in many
areas.
 Depending on the snake, venom may cause local tissue
destruction; it may block nerve impulses, causing breathing
and the heart to stop; or, cause blood clotting (coagulation)
and then internal bleeding.
 Do not attempt to kill or capture the snake that bit the
casualty. But, if possible, make a note of the snake’s
appearance to help doctors identify the correct antivenom
Coral Snakes

14. Most deaths from snakebites occur because—
1. The victim has an allergic reaction.
2. The victim is in poor health.
3. Too much time passes before the victim receives medical
care.

15. Signals that indicate a poisonous snakebite
include—
1. One or two distinct puncture
wounds.
2. Severe pain and burning
at the wound site.
3. Swelling
(within 5 minutes).
4. Discoloration (blue, black-blue, black)
6-10 hours later at the wound site
and blood-filled blisters
5. Nausea 6. Sweating 7. Weakness

16. First Aid for Snake Bites
1. Get victim away from snake and keep them quiet
and calm.
2. Help the casualty lie down, with head and
shoulders raised. Keep bitten area immobile and
Keep the limb below the level of the heart.
3. Avoid walking and moving if possible to prevent
venom from spreading
4. Call 122 immediately; antivenin is available only in
hospitals and must be administered within 4 hours.
5. Wash wound with large amounts of warm or room-
temperature water with soap for 5-10 minutes.

17. 6. Apply an elastic roller bandage. Use overlapping turns to
keep the pressure from the bandage firm, gently stretching
the bandage as you wrap, exerting moderate pressure (a
finger can be slipped under it) to slow the spread of
venom.
8. Check for circulation (pulse)
of the limb beyond the point
where bandaging begins.
9. Leave the toes or fingers exposed so you can check for any
kind of discoloration, which would indicate that the
bandage is wrapped too tightly.

18. 10. Regardless of what you may have otherwise
heard or read—
 Do not apply ice.
 Do not cut and suck the wound.
 Do not apply a tourniquet.
 Do not use electric shock.

19. Bites
Any bite that breaks the skin needs quick first aid
because there is a high risk of infection.
A serious risk is rabies, a potentially fatal viral
infection of the nervous system.
Tetanus is also a potential risk following any animal
bite.

20. Animal Bites
About 4 million people bitten
by dogs each year.
Dogs are responsible
for about 80% of all animal bites
30 people a year die from
dog bites.
Animal bites are serious because
of bleeding and risk of infection.

21. Dog Bites
If approached, What to do:
1. Stop/ Stand still/ Do not run
2. Talk softly
3. Move slowly
4. Never turn your back on a dog
5. Use: stick, mace, pepper spray for
defending.

22. Rabies
Bite of any animal carries risk of infection.
Rabies fatal unless vaccination injections given
early
It is safer to assume that all wild animals have
rabies.
Virus found in warm-blooded animals, spreads
though saliva (biting or licking).
No cure once symptoms
develop

23. Rabies: Be Concerned If Skin Is Penetrated By:
A. Attacks unprovoked
B. Strange acting dog or other animal (was friendly,
now aggressive, was wild, now acts docile)
C. Animal of high risk species
1. Raccoons
2. Bats
3. Foxes
4. Dogs and wolf

24. Sings and symptoms
symptoms appear after 10 days to over a year and
include:
1. Malaise
2. Fever
3. Difficulty in breathing
4. Salivation
5. Throat muscles go into spasm if they try to drink
and they choke.
6. Later stage, hydrophobia develops.
7. Death occur 4-5 days.

25. Animal Bites: What to Do
 Family pet: confine and observe for 10 days
 Stray dog or cat: will be killed
and head sent for testing
 Dead animal: entire body sent
 for testing.
 Try to identify the animal
but do not attempt to approach
or trap it.

26. First aid for Animal Bites
 If bitten by a wild animal - suspect rabies
1. Clean wound with soap and water for 5-10 minutes.
2. Rinse with water under pressure
for 5 –10 minutes
3. Control bleeding
4. Cover wound with sterile dressing
and bandage.
5. Victim should see doctor or go to
emergency department.
6. Start rabies treatment immediately
7. Kill animal and transport entire body to a vet for rabies
testing. Wear gloves to avoid infected saliva

27. Human Bites
Human bites carry only a small risk of transmitting
the hepatis or HIV/AIDS viruses. However, medical
advice should be sought right away.
The human mouth carries 47 different types of
bacteria.
This increase chance of infection.
All human bites that break the
skin should be seen by
Doctor.

28. First Aid for Human Bites
1. Clean wound with soap and water 5-10 minutes
2. Rinse with water under
pressure for 5-10 minutes
3. Control bleeding
4. Cover wound with sterile dressing and bandage.
5. Victim should see doctor or go to emergency
department.

29. Spider Bites
Most are
venomous but
have hard time
biting humans.

30. Spider Bites
Signs and Symptoms Brown Recluse
1. Itching and swelling
2. Localized pain at site of bite
3. Possible nausea, vomiting,
headache, or fever. Black Widow
Tarantula

31. First aid for spider bite
1. Clean bite with soap and water for 5-10 minutes.
2. Cool Area by Applying ice pack
4. Remove any jewelry before any swelling begins.
5. Lower the site of the bite or sting slightly below the level of
the victim’s heart.
6. Observe the victim carefully for at least 30 minutes for
signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction.
7. Keep the victim calm and warm, and limit physical activity.
8. If victim has difficulty breathing, call 122 immediately.
9. Care for ABC. Arrange for transport to hospital as soon as
possible

32. Day 3
Day 5
Day 9
Day 6