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Title
Ask the Doc:
How can I tell if my child was bitten by a poisonous spider?
The board certified pediatricians at After Hours Pediatrics Urgent Care (www.afterhourspediatrics.com)
want to answer your questions regarding urgent care. To submit a question to be
answered in the next issue of Families on-the-go, please email your question to
info@afterhourspediatrics.com.
How can I tell if my child was bitten by a poisonous spider?
All spiders have some type of venom they use to kill their prey. However, if
humans are bitten, it only causes local irritation, itching and pain.
Occasionally a spider bite can cause some blistering and breakdown of the skin.
Two types of spiders are considered poisonous because their bites do sometimes
cause more severe reactions: the brown recluse and the black widow families of
spiders. Though there have been no verified deaths in the U.S. due to brown
recluse and none in over ten years from the black widow species of spiders, just
the mention of them causes considerable anxiety in many people.
Unless you actually see your child bitten by a spider, most likely the bite is
from an insect. If you do see a spider and you think it may be a black widow or
brown recluse type spider, it is extremely important to capture the actual
spider (if at all possible) for correct identification – even if you stepped on
it! Many bites are incorrectly attributed to these spiders.
It should be comforting to parents to know it would be extremely unusual for a
child to be bitten by a brown recluse because it is not native to Florida,
rather it is imported when people move here from areas where the brown recluse
lives. It has only been documented sporadically in single buildings in about ten
Florida counties (not including Hillsborough, Pinellas or Pasco). Most of the
reports of brown recluse bites in Florida have not been accurate.
The symptoms of a brown recluse bite begin in about two to eight hours and
include blistering of the skin and intense pain. If only a small amount of venom
is injected, there may be no further injury. In fact, 90% of brown recluse
spider bites heal without any treatment. In cases of a severe bite, the tissue
about the bite dies and forms a scar. Medical care is needed in these cases for
good wound care and prevention of infection.
There are occasional reports of bites from the black widow or one of its sister
species. These spiders are usually associated with woodpiles and areas that have
been left undisturbed for periods of time, such as sheds. Bites usually occur
when someone reaches under an object, such as a piece of wood, and disturb the
spider. Although not usually aggressive, these spiders then attack as they feel
threatened.
In a significant black widow bite, symptoms of severe muscle pain begin in about
two hours. If symptoms of weakness, sweating, headache, vomiting or difficulty
breathing occur, seek immediate medical attention. However, these reactions are
quite rare.
So, in general, treat a potential spider bite as you would any insect bite:
clean the area well and give diphenhydramine (aka Benadryl) for itching. In the
extremely rare event of a true poisonous spider bite that causes severe pain,
discoloration of the skin or weakness, call your doctor right away.
Dr. Welborn is a board certified pediatrician and Medical Director at After
Hours Pediatrics Urgent Care (www.afterhourspediatrics.com).
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