How to Treat Fish Spine Poisons

You’re enjoying a swim in the ocean when you feel a sharp pain in your leg. You quickly realize that you’ve been pricked, deeply, by a fish spine. You know that some fish spines contain very deadly poison so you’ve got to act fast. Here’s what to do.

Things You'll Need

• Knife
• Hot water
• Antiseptic
• Gauze

Instructions

1. Wash the wound with water right away.

2. Use a knife to make a small cut across the wound.

3. Using your lips, suck as much venom out of the wound as you can, spitting it all out when you lift your head up for air.

4. Put the wound under hot water—as hot as you can stand—for at least half an hour. A full hour would be ideal.

5. Clean the wound thoroughly.

6. Apply antiseptic and cover the wound with a sterile gauze or some other dressing.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don’t have a knife, try sucking the poison out of the wound anyway. The point here is to get rid of as much venom as you can.

• If the wound is on your face, obviously you can’t immerse it in water for an hour. Instead, use a hot compress.