Jellyfish Sting

When To Call

Call 911 Now

• Past severe allergic reaction to jellyfish stings (not just hives) and stung less than 2 hours ago
• Wheezing or trouble breathing
• Hoarseness, cough or tightness in the throat or chest
• Trouble swallowing or drooling
• Speech is slurred
• Acts or talks confused
• Passed out (fainted) or too weak to stand
• You think your child has a life-threatening emergency

Go to ER Now

• Hives or swelling all over the body (but normal breathing)
• Muscle cramps or spasms
• Sting inside the mouth
• Sting on the eye
• Stomach pain or vomiting

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

• Sting covers a large area (more than 1 arm or leg)
• Fever and sting looks infected (spreading redness)
• Jellyfish sting and No past tetanus shots. Note: tetanus is the "T" in DTaP, TdaP, or Td vaccines.
• Severe pain not improved after 2 hours using care advice
• Your child looks or acts very sick
• You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours

• Blisters appear
• More than 48 hours since the sting and redness getting larger
• Last tetanus shot was more than 10 years ago
• You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent

Contact Doctor During Office Hours

• Severe itching not better after 24 hours of using steroid cream
• Redness or rash lasts more than 48 hours
• You have other questions or concerns

Self Care at Home

• Jellyfish sting - Normal local reaction

Care Advice

What You Should Know About Jellyfish Stings:

• Jellyfish cause most of the stings that occur in the ocean.
• Most stings are harmless. The pain is like a bee sting.
• Jellies have long tentacles with lots of tiny stingers.
• Pieces of tentacles that wash up on the beach can still cause stings.
• They produce lines of redness and burning pain.
• Here is some care advice that should help.

Step 1 - Sea Water Rinse to Remove Large Tentacles:

• Rinse area with sea water. This will help remove any large tentacles stuck to the skin.
• Do not rinse with fresh water (will trigger stingers).
• Do not scrub or rub area (will trigger stingers).
• Do this until you can get some vinegar.

Step 2 - Vinegar Rinse to Stop the Stinging: (Exception: Chesapeake Bay jellyfish - see care advice below on Baking Soda Rinse To Stop The Stinging)

• Rinse area with vinegar (5% acetic acid) for 15 minutes.
• Reason: stops the stingers from stinging if still attached to the skin.
• Caution: do not use with Chesapeake Bay jellyfish. Reason: may trigger stingers. Instead, use a baking soda rinse with these stings.
• Avoid rubbing alcohol for all stings. Reason: will trigger the stingers.
• If you can't get vinegar, move on to scraping off the stingers.

Step 3 - Scrape the Area to Remove Small Stingers:

• Scrape off any stingers you can see. Use the edge of a credit card or dinner knife.
• Do not use your bare fingers. Reason: you will get stings on your hands. Put on gloves if you have them.
• Then, coat area with shaving cream or any mild cream. Scrape the area again.
• If the stingers are stuck to body hair, shave with a razor.

Step 4 - Repeat Vinegar Rinse: (Exception: Chesapeake Bay jellyfish - see care advice below on Baking Soda Rinse To Stop The Stinging)

• Keep a cloth wet with vinegar on the area.
• Do this for 15 more minutes.

Chesapeake Bay Jellyfish (Sea Nettle) - Baking Soda Rinse To Stop The Stinging:

• Rinse area with a mixture of sea water and baking soda for 15 minutes.
• This stops the stingers from stinging if still attached to the skin.
• Then, remove small stingers with scraping or shaving.
• Caution: do not use vinegar rinse.

Pain Medicine:

• To help with the pain, give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
• Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil).
• Use as needed.

Cold Pack for Pain:

• For pain and swelling, rub with an ice cube. You can also use a cold wet washcloth. Do this for 10 minutes as needed.
• Caution: don't use until stingers are removed. Reason: water or ice will trigger stingers.

Steroid Cream for Itching:

• For itching or swelling, put 1% hydrocortisone cream (such as Cortaid) on the sting.
• No prescription is needed.
• Use 3 times per day.
• Keep the cream in the fridge. Reason: it feels better if put on cold.

What to Expect:

• Minor stings: Severe burning pain will lessen within 1-2 hours. Red blotches and lines often improve in 24 hours. Red lines may last 1-2 weeks.
• More severe stings: blisters appear within 6 hours. You should be seen by a doctor if blisters appear.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Blisters appear
• Severe pain lasts over 2 hours
• Redness or rash lasts over 2 weeks
• You think your child needs to be seen
• Your child becomes worse

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Photos

Jellyfish Sting

This shows a jellyfish sting reaction. The sting will cause pain and swelling where the tentacles of the jellyfish touched the skin. The rash is red and swollen.

Source: Self Care Decisions, LLC
From the Dr. William Weston Collection of Pediatric Dermatology. Used with permission.