How to Identify and Treat Stingray and Sea Urchin Stings

Watch for common symptoms. Stingray sting injuries can be accompanied by symptoms (mild and severe) as follows: ^{[1] [2]}

• The wound is a stab wound. Stingray stings are quite large and can be jagged. Stingrays do not usually leave spines after stinging, but in rare cases, stingrays can break inside the wound.
• The victim immediately feels severe pain at the sting site.
• The injured area is swollen.
• The stab wound was bleeding.
• The skin around the wound is green at first, then turns red.
• Unusual sweating.
• The victim is lethargic, weak, or dizzy.
• Headache.
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
• Breathe fast.
• Convulsions, cramps, or paralysis.

Seek immediate medical attention if symptoms appear severe. The following signs indicate that the victim needs urgent medical help: ^[3]

• The wound is located on the abdomen, chest, neck, or face.
• Massive bleeding.
• Victims experience difficulty breathing, itching, nausea, throat tightness, rapid pulse, dizziness, or loss of consciousness.

Get the casualty out of the water and into a safe place. Place the casualty on the ground if the accident occurs near the shore, or on the deck or seat on the boat if the incident occurs in water near the boat. ^{[4] [5]}

• Getting out of the water quickly and safely is essential to avoid further injury.
• If the victim vomits, have them lie on their side to prevent choking. ^[6]

Stop bleeding. The best way to stop bleeding is to apply pressure with a clean cloth or towel. ^{[7] [8]}

• If a clean towel or cloth is not available, you can use a shirt or a piece of clothing.
• Apply just enough pressure to stop bleeding or slow it down. If the victim is conscious, ask if they can handle the pressure or if it causes more pain.

Use tweezers to remove the spikes if medical attention is not available. If you see a thorn in the wound, you need to remove it to prevent the poison from continuing to enter the wound. ^[9] However, stingray spines are serrated and will tear the skin when removed, allowing more venom to penetrate the wound. In addition, attempts by a non-specialist to remove the thorn can cause the thorn to break in the wound, which means that the doctor will have to re-process the wound to remove the broken pieces. Furthermore, a very large thorn can actually seal a wound and prevent massive bleeding. Therefore, you should only attempt to remove the spikes in the event that prompt medical care is not possible, such as when you are very far away from the mainland.

• If you don’t have tweezers available, you can use small pointed pliers to remove the spikes. Choose tools that are relatively clean to avoid infecting the wound, if possible.
• Be careful with the thorn after you have pulled it out, do not let the thorn pierce yourself or others. Discard the spike by placing it in a bottle and covering it or wrapping it in several layers of plastic. This is to prevent others from accidentally touching it.
• Do not use your bare hands to remove the spikes from the wound. If you don’t have tools to remove the spikes, it’s best to wait for a medical professional. Even thick gloves can’t guarantee you won’t get pricked while working, so you should exercise caution.