Sea urchins: Difference between revisions
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*Prophylactic antibiotics for deep puncture wounds | *Prophylactic antibiotics for deep puncture wounds | ||
===Complications | ==Disposition== | ||
*Depends on the extent and location of injury and degree of envenomation | |||
==Complications== | |||
*Retained spines | *Retained spines | ||
*Infection ('''[[Vibrio]]''' species) | *Infection ('''[[Vibrio]]''' species) | ||
*Granuloma and cyst formation | *Granuloma and cyst formation | ||
==See Also== | ==See Also== |
Revision as of 17:49, 5 August 2020
Background
- Sea urchins are marine invertebrate echinoderms
- Anatomy consists of soft viscera surrounded by a hard plated body with protruding spines and pedicellariae
- Around 950 known species and some are venomous[1]
- Nonvenomous species have blunt, rounded spines
- Venomous species have sharp, hollow, thin spines
- Some have pedicellariae with sharp jaws and venom glands
Mechanism
- Nonvenomous spines cause direct trauma
- Venoms are known to contain proteases, hemolysins, steroid glycosides, serotonin, cholinergic substances, and rarely neurotoxins
- Pedicellariae attach to the victim and break off from the urchin, releasing venom for several hours
Clinical Features
- Minor to severe pain the the site of the embedded spine
- Venomous spines and pedicellariae generally cause much more severe pain and may be accompanied by systemic signs and symptoms with a significant envenomation including pruritus, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, respiratory distress, parasthesias, muscle weakness, and hypotension
- Rarely severe envenomations can lead to death
Differential Diagnosis
Marine toxins, envenomations, and bites
- Toxins
- Ciguatera
- Scombroid
- Tetrodotoxin (e.g. pufferfish)
- Shellfish poisoning
- Amnesic shellfish poisoning
- Diarrheal shellfish poisoning
- Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning
- Paralytic shellfish poisoning
- Stingers
- Venomous fish
- Cone shell
- Lionfish
- Sea urchins
- Crown-of-Thorns Starfish
- Stonefish
- Other: Catfish, zebrafish, scorpion fish
- Nematocysts
- Coral reef
- Fire coral
- Jellyfish (Cnidaria)
- Portuguese man-of-war
- Sea anemones
- Seabather's eruption
- Phylum porifera (sponges)
- Bites
- Infections
Evaluation
- Clinical diagnosis
- Plain films of the injured areas to locate embedded spines
- Evaluate for intraarticular spines
- Ultrasound may be useful if none are seen but radiolucent FB is suspected
- MRI can also locate spines not seen on plain film
Management
- Emersion in non-scalding water up to 45°C
- Prompt removal of pedicellariae
- Remove spines/foreign bodies
- If spines are intraarticular or near neurovascular structures they need to be carefully removed in the OR
- Thorough irrigation
- Update tetanus vaccination if needed
- Prophylactic antibiotics for deep puncture wounds
Disposition
- Depends on the extent and location of injury and degree of envenomation
Complications
- Retained spines
- Infection (Vibrio species)
- Granuloma and cyst formation
See Also
External Links
References
- ↑ Auerbach P. Chapter 73. Envenomation by aquatic invertebrates. In: Auerbach P. Wilderness Medicine.