How to Recognize Poisoning From a Black Widow

Video Transcript

"As far as assessment's concerned with a patient with a black widow spider bite, your primary obligations are just the same as any other emergency patient initially. You need to assess for responsiveness, airway, breathing, and circulation. And support any life-threatening deficiencies in any of the above. You can also, during the assessment of the patient, him or herself, you might find paralysis of the limb that was...that was...that they had the spider bite on. What is it? The brown and white splotches might be around the bite itself or general discoloration. Altered level of consciousness, as well as swelling of the throat or mouth, and symptoms that might mimic or be close to that of a...of anaphylaxis or an allergic reaction. Your second priority is going to be to identify...to identify the spider itself if you can without becoming a victim yourself. If you can, capture the spider and take it with you to the emergency department. Hopefully, the spider's deceased by this point in time. But if possible, take that spider with you to the hospital for further identification by emergency personnel at the emergency department. The best way to identify the black widow spider itself is by an hourglass -- red hourglass coloration on the abdomen of the spider. The spider's otherwise black throughout the body from head to toe. The legs might be brown. Usually, female black widow spiders are larger than male black widow spiders. And typically, the venom from a female black widow spider is typically more potent than that of...that of a male black widow spider. Younger black widow spiders, just in general, are smaller in size and stature, and typically aren't nearly as dangerous as the larger female black widow spiders. After you've...after you've identified the spider, assess the patient. Your primary priorities will be to transport the patient to an appropriate medical facility or the emergency department in your area that's capable for maintaining patients that fall under this category. The patient, after exposure, might suffer signs and symptoms such as acute pain at the site of the bite, much like any other insect sting. The patient might also experience shortness of breath, chest pain or chest discomfort, and swelling at the area of the...of the...of the bite. The pain from a black widow spider bite might also be relieved with cold or warm compresses, and pain can also be controlled with over-the-counter pain medications such as Tylenol or Advil, acetaminophen or ibuprofen."