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Treatment for Lionfish Stings
After getting stung by a red lionfish (Pterois volitans), the various symptoms start to develop within a few minutes and you will start to feel pain.
This guide explains why this type of puncture injury happens, what it feels like, and the best treatment for lionfish sting symptoms.
How to Manage the Lionfish Sting in Diving?
Scuba divers may have encounters with this venomous fish around the tropical reefs of the Indo-Pacific and western Atlantic.
Follow these basic steps if a poisonous lionfish stings you while diving:
- Try to stay calm and let small skin punctures bleed to help reduce the venom load.
- Make sure your buddy and the dive leader know that you got stung.
- End the dive in a safe manner (e.g. ascend at the normal rate, perform a safety stop, and avoid making an omitted decompression obligation).
Pro Tip: Administer emergency first aid and get a medical evaluation for all serious injuries associated with scuba, especially bites and toxic mechanisms of injection by marine plants and animals.
How Do Lionfishes Sting Divers?
These voracious predators rank as one of the most invasive fish species in western parts of the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, fishers and recreational divers hunt them and kill them to try and slow the spread of lionfish populations - including culling tournaments in the Caribbean.
The 'cull' means divers will be swimming close to the lionfish's sharp spines. These kinds of penetration injuries are very painful. But, they can also lead to medical complications.
Here's the thing:
An epithelial (external) sheath covers the long, slender spines and contains glands that produce venom. The upper two-thirds of each individual ray or spine is the most toxic.
So, what happens if a fin ray penetrates a diver's skin? Venom will flow into the injury site and most lionfish stings will need urgent medical treatment.
The marine life section contains more lionfish facts, including information about fish species from the genus Pterois (e.g. the turkeyfish and zebra lionfish).
How to Prevent Active Envenomation
Most recreational scuba divers already understand that the lionfish species (Pterois volitans) is not an 'aggressive' one. Hence, maintaining a prudent distance is enough to prevent bites, cuts, scrapes, and sting injuries.
But, some people do engage in spearfishing or fish culling activities. In this case, it's best to avoid using improvisations and use extra caution if you need to handle these creatures - even if they are dead.
Symptoms of Lionfish Stings
The intense pain that you will experience from a lionfish puncture wound can last for several hours. You may also see rapid swelling (edema) and subcutaneous bleeding. Other manifestations may include:
- Blisters or pustules
Cardiac failure- Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
- Edema
- Erythema (skin redness)
- Fever
- Limb paralysis
- Localised heat
- Muscular weakness
- Nausea
- Necrosis (dead tissue)
- Pain
- Vomiting
You can expect the swelling to calm down within a few days. Even so, it could take up to five (5) days for tissue discolorations to clear up.
In some cases, severe swelling may compromise normal blood flow. This may lead to further complications with tissue death (necrosis), especially in the fingertips. We couldn't find any published reports of human deaths from lionfish stings.
Lionfish Sting Treatment
- Clean the injury site with soap and fresh water. Use gloves or tweezers to remove any foreign material. Take steps to control excessive bleeding wounds.
- Immersing the affected area in the hottest water that the victim can tolerate (without causing an injury) will help to control the pain. The recommended upper limit is 45° Celsius (113° Fahrenheit) for at least thirty (30) minutes, but not more than ninety (90) minutes. Repeat the process if necessary.
- Later, you may be able to reduce the swelling by applying cold packs or ice.
- In some cases, the victim may need to take pain control medication and applying a topical antibiotic might also help.
- Seek a professional medical evaluation (e.g. by calling the DAN 24-hour emergency hotline).