Jellyfish
Symptoms:

Injuries:
According to the 1996 data from the NSW Poisons Information Service, the majority of injuries from marine animals were inflicted by jellyfish primarily the bluebottle (Portuguese Man of War). Most stings from jellyfish are quite painful and irritating. The bluebottle leaves a characteristic whip like, red wavy line on the skin from the blue tentacle. The blue ringed octopus is also dangerous to humans. It bites with a parrot like beak. The saliva contains a potent toxin resulting in immediate paralysis. Other stings may be inflicted by stinging fish, eg stonefish, or other marine animals such as the stingray.
Safety Advice:
Children especially should be educated to avoid touching or picking up unknown marine life, even if the animals seem very attractive, eg blue ringed octopus.

How to Treat a Jellyfish Sting
The proper, doctor-approved way to treat a jellyfish sting.......and some home treatments.
Difficulty Level: Average Time Required: 15 Minutes

Here's How:
1. Victims of stings should be prevented from rubbing the stung area. They must be kept calm and reassured. Locate the sting area.
2. Don't use a credit card to scrape the area; this is a myth, it only succeeds in "triggering" the stingers.
3. To rinse away stingers, pour water over the area.
4. Use meat tenderizer; pour into your hand, add some water to make a paste, smear onto inflammed area.
5. If meat tenderizer is not available, pour vinegar or diluted ammonia on the area.
6. If vinegar or ammonia is not available, have the victim urinate on the inflammed area.
7. Monitor the victim; if any further redness, dizziness, pain or vomiting occurs you must seek medical attention.
8. If you are unsure of what stung the person apply a bandage to the sting areas and immobilise the person till medical assistance is gained.

Tips:
1. Meat tenderizer is the most affective source of relief because it breaks down the proteins in the jellyfish venom, lessening the strength.
2. Urine may sound rather disgusting, but the ammonia in urine can bring extreme relief from the sting.
3. There are several over the counter remedies you may want to purchase and carry with you; wipe away pain, Wipe Out or Sting Things.

Special Notes:
For more information contact the NSW Poisons Information Service on 131126.
Specific First Aid information and training in first aid is available through the Australian Red Cross or St John Ambulance.
KIDS HEALTH : Child Health Promotion Unit
Last Amended: Thursday, 20 January 2000

Stings of the Box Jellyfish

Two concepts are key to treating box jellyfish stings. One is to prevent firing of any undischarged nematocysts remaining on the skin, thus preventing the injury from getting worse. The second is to treat the symptoms and pain caused by already-fired nematocysts. The following first aid treatment, based on current Australian research, is recommended for the stings of all species of box jellyfish:

1. Immediately flood the area with household vinegar to keep undischarged nematocysts from firing. This does not relieve pain, but prevents additional stings.
2. Never rub the area with sand or anything else.
3. Irrigate exposed eyes with copious amounts of room temperature tap water for at least 15 minutes. If vision blurs, or the eyes continue to tear, hurt, swell, or are light sensitive after irrigating, see a doctor.
4. Pluck off any vinegar-soaked tentacles with a stick or other tool.
5. If the victim has shortness of breath, weakness, muscle cramps, palpitations or any other generalized symptoms, take them to an emergency room.
6. For pain relief, apply ice packs. If pain becomes unbearable, go to an emergency room. No studies support applying heat to box jellyfish stings.

Contradictory studies exist on the effectiveness of meat tenderizer, baking soda, papaya, or commercial sprays (containing aluminum sulfate and detergents) on nematocyst stings. These substances may cause further damage. Some kinds of meat tenderizer, for instance, can cause skin peeling. In one U.S. fatality from the box jellyfish, Chiropsalmus quadrumanus, rescuers placed meat tenderizer almost immediately on the affected arm. The child was soon comatose and later died.

Alcohol and human urine are common nematocyst remedies, but both can be harmful. An Australian study reports that both alcohol and urine caused massive discharge of box jellyfish nematocysts.

Most Hawaii box jellyfish stings disappear by themselves. Because of this, even harmful therapies can appear to work. A key concept in the first aid of any injury is: Do no harm. Therefore, avoid applying unproven, possibly harmful substances to stings.Occasionally, nematocyst toxins cause lymph nodes near a sting site to swell. If a red streak develops between the two areas, or if either area becomes red, warm and tender, see a doctor immediately. Few box jellyfish stings in Hawaii cause life-threatening reactions, but this is always a possibility. Some people are extremely sensitive to the venom; a few have allergic reactions. Consider even the slightest breathing difficulty, or altered level of consciousness, a medical emergency. Call for help and use an automatic epinephrine injector if available.