Full transcript and video captions coming soon!
Hey, it's Cathy with Level Up RN. In this video, I will be discussing bites and stings from an insect as well as animal bites. And at the end of the video, I'm going to give you guys a little quiz to test your understanding of some of the key points I'll be covering. Of note, I will not be discussing Lyme disease in this video because we have a separate dedicated video for that topic. And if you have our Level Up RN Pediatric Nursing Flashcards, go ahead and pull out your flashcard on bites and stings so you can follow along with me.
Let's start off by talking about insect bites or stings. So signs and symptoms of an insect bite or sting include pain, erythema, edema, as well as pruritus, which is a fancy name for itching. So most bites or stings can be treated by cleaning the area with soap and water, treating pain with acetaminophen or NSAIDs, and applying a topical antihistamine or steroid cream to help decrease itching. However, if the child has a severe allergic reaction to the insect bite or sting, this can result in anaphylaxis. Signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis include dyspnea, which is difficulty breathing, hypotension, wheezing, urticaria, which is a fancy name for hives, as well as angioedema, which is similar to hives but affects the deeper layers of skin.
Anaphylaxis needs to be treated immediately. If this were to occur, you need to call 911 and then administer an intramuscular epinephrine injection if available. And if the child has a known hypersensitivity to an insect or anything else, for that matter, they need to carry an EpiPen with them at all times.
Moving on to animal bites now. If the child is bitten by an animal, it can cause signs and symptoms such as pain, bleeding, numbness, and tissue damage. In terms of treatment, it's important to seek medical care for any bite that breaks the skin surface. The area should be cleaned with soap and water, and a topical antibiotic ointment should be applied. The provider may prescribe a systemic antibiotic and a tetanus booster may be required as well. If the animal was rabid or suspected to be rabid, then rabies post-exposure prophylaxis may be necessary.
All right. It's quiz time, and I've got three questions for you.
Question number 1. A child experiencing signs and symptoms of wheezing and urticaria following an insect sting may be experiencing what complication.
The answer is anaphylaxis.
Question number 2. What should a parent do if their child is experiencing anaphylaxis?
The answer is, they should call 911 and then immediately administer intramuscular epinephrine if it is available.
Question number 3. A child who is bitten by a rabid wild animal may require what type of treatment?
The answer is rabies post-exposure prophylaxis.
All right. That's it for this video. I hope it was helpful. Take care, and thank you so much for watching.
