News about Stingrays

Stingrays are found throughout Australian waters. Although stingrays are venomous, often the major clinical problem is related to mechanical trauma from the sting itself. The sting, which is a spine(s) or barb at the end of the tail, may produce deep penetrating injuries, severe lacerations, or subsequent infection, including tetanus. Fatalities from penetrating chest or abdominal wounds by stingray barbs have been recorded. Envenomation may result in increasing local pain which may spread to involve the entire limb, with swelling and a characteristic bluish-white appearance of the wound. Systemic symptoms are rare, but may include nausea and vomiting, salivation, diarrhoea, sweating, muscle cramps, syncope, cardiac arrhythmias and convulsions. Treatment consists of analgesia, tetanus prophylaxis, X-ray and surgical exploration and debridement if necessary. Infection of the contaminated wound may develop, and may involve poorly characterized marine bacteria requiring special culture media. Consideration should be given to antibiotic prophylaxis in contaminated wounds, particularly if there has been delay between the sting and medical treatment. There is no antivenom for stingray envenomation.