Cellulitis and spider bites

Specialties Med-Surg

Published

I don't know about any of you, but my med-surg floor is overrun with pts who got bit by a spider and developed cellulitis (sometimes, really bad cases) and since I'm new, is that something that's seasonal or is it just a fluke?

I don't know if there are "seasons" for spiders! :lol2:

Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

Knowing that the animated digital spider is completely fake...it still has the power to freak me out too!

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Specializes in Med Surg/Tele/ER.
Caution: what appears as cellulitis from 'spider bites' can often be MRSA, especially in younger adults with questionable hygiene and a drug habit (e.g. meth use). I've seen too many cases where people claim they got bitten by spiders, when the real cause was skin-popping. Obviously spider bites CAN cause cellulitis---I've had one on an arm and the other on a leg that caused nasty cases of it---but MRSA cellulitis from other causes can resemble spider bites, and further investigation may be warranted.

My thoughts exactly!

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oh yes! I have so many MRSA spider bites right now it is crazy! I just thought it was the norm right now! :)

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husband currently in hospital with 4th episode of cellulitis over about 7 or 8 years. with the first one, he was told it was a spider bite, and all the others have been the same - relatively sudden onset, with large patch of redness and swellling of lower extremity (never had upper extremity), so have assumed this was correct since then. If so, any treatment, such as allergy shots, etc., to prevent this?

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Specializes in Critical Care-Neuro/Trauma ICU.

It seems to be seasonal. Our floor right now is teeming with spider bites and snake bites. Of course, living in Georgia, I assume this is going to be the norm but I can tell you that we rarely see this in the fall and winter months.

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