Brown recluse spiders, also called violin spiders or fiddleback spiders, contain venom that can cause serious injury and death. According to The Ohio State University Extension, these spiders are found mainly in the central Midwestern states southward to the Gulf of Mexico. The brown recluse is non-aggressive, but it will bite when accidentally disturbed, explains the Texas Department of State Health Services. Brown recluse bites are necrotizing, which means that they cause skin tissue to die. No antivenom for brown recluse spider bites is available in the U.S. as of 2010, and medical treatment is often required to slow or halt serious physical complications.
First Aid
First aid is the first line of treatment to help slow the damage from a brown recluse spider bite. According to the Mayo Clinic, victims should wash the bite and skin around it with soap and warm water. Elevating the bitten body part, if it is an arm or a leg, and tying a bandage snugly above the bite can slow down the venom in the bloodstream, notes the Mayo Clinic. An ice pack applied to the bite can help alleviate swelling. The Texas Department of State Health Services urges victims to call a poison control center or their physicians for more information about treatment. If systemic reactions occur, seek immediate medical treatment, adds the department.
Medication
Brown recluse venom can cause a systemic response in the body, resulting in swelling, fluid buildup and an allergic reaction. A 2004 article in the "Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine" notes that steroids, antihistamines and anti-inflammatory medications may be useful for reducing the effect of brown recluse venom.
Steroid cream or injections applied to the bite may decrease swelling and reduce pain. Antihistamines aid in reversing the body's allergic response to brown recluse venom. Antibiotics may also be used to prevent secondary infection from the spider bite and stimulate healing of any skin tissue that was damaged. A bite victim may also be given a tetanus toxoid injection to protect against tetanus infection.
Surgery
Venom from the brown recluse can cause ulceration of the skin in as little as eight hours after envenomation, reports the Alabama Cooperative Extension. Ulceration can spread and tissue death can occur. Skin that becomes necrotized in response to brown recluse venom may need to be removed, according to the Alabama Cooperative Extension. Cutting away dead skin tissue can help promote wound healing and the formation of new, healthy skin, over the wound. MedlinePlus, a division of the National Institutes of Health, states that additional surgery may be required after skin has healed to improve the appearance of any craters or scars left behind.
References
- "Journal of the American Board of Family Practice"; Management of Brown Recluse Bites in Primary Care; James W. Mold, M.D., and David M. Thompson, Ph.D.; 2004
- Alabama Cooperative Extension: The Brown Recluse Spider
- Texas Department of State Health Services: Venomous Texas Spiders
- MedlinePlus: Brown Recluse Spider
- Mayo Clinic: Spider Bites: First Aid
