Brown Recluse Spider Bite

live4today, RN · Apr 25, 2005

I've been told brown recluse spiders are quite common in Missouri, too. Can you upload the photos on this thread so we can see them here? :)

Tashia · Apr 25, 2005

I've been told brown recluse spiders are quite common in Missouri, too. Can you upload the photos on this thread so we can see them here? :)

I tried to copy and paste. Didn't work. Do you know another way?

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Apr 25, 2005

I've cared for several people with recluse bites. A bite can take months or longer to heal. Truly a horrible experience for the patient. The bites are really awful to look at so I've provided links instead of posting pictures.

So here's a couple of links:

Medical article with really gross pictures near the bottom of the article, plus pictures of the spider:

http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic547.htm

Really gross pictures and personal stories on this site:

http://www.highway60.com/mark/brs/

hollyster · Apr 25, 2005

We had a pt that lost most of his bicep to a brown recluse. He said that he had only been bit the day before.

abmsam · Apr 26, 2005

Yes, brown recluses are found in Georgia. My uncle was bitten by a brown recluse and the bite causes tissue death if not treated. He lost a lot of the tissue above his shoulderblade, because he didn't seek medical attention for about 24 hours.

Bad little creatures!

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Apr 26, 2005

I got bitten by one of those suckers back in the late '70s, and I still have the scar on top of my left foot to prove it. I had cellulitis and almost went into septicemia; fortunately I was young and healthy at the time, so I got over it with the help of a BIG shot of penicillin in the butt and some pretty labor-intensive wound care (MD told me to pour H202 into it and let it bubble for awhile, then pack it with gauze and antibiotic ointment and cover it with an occlusive dressing TID). From what I've seen of what these spider bites do to people who aren't in the kind of shape I was then, I count myself exceedingly lucky.

gwenith, BSN, RN · Apr 26, 2005

Please don't post your email addresses - this site is Googled which means the information becomes available to EVERYONE on the net. To post pictures click on "go advanced" and then scroll down until you see "manage attachments" it is easy from there. BTW Now THIS is what I call a spider:D

P_RN, ADN, RN · Apr 26, 2005

I'm in SC and Yes they can be found here also. My hairdresser was bitten last year on the calf. It left a fist sized defect. She said the pain was severe.

mattsmom81 · Apr 26, 2005

I got bitten by one of those suckers back in the late '70s, and I still have the scar on top of my left foot to prove it. I had cellulitis and almost went into septicemia; fortunately I was young and healthy at the time, so I got over it with the help of a BIG shot of penicillin in the butt and some pretty labor-intensive wound care (MD told me to pour H202 into it and let it bubble for awhile, then pack it with gauze and antibiotic ointment and cover it with an occlusive dressing TID). From what I've seen of what these spider bites do to people who aren't in the kind of shape I was then, I count myself exceedingly lucky.

My 20 yr old son got bit on his finger...and when he finally went to the doc, was told if he'd waited another day he may have ended up hospitalized, and lost the finger...he was also near septicemia. These spider bites are nothing to mess around with...and they are very common in Texas. My son got bitten out in the woods and thought it was a wasp bite at first...til he saw the spider scuttling off.